


It's Just a Rumor, Right?

by treya_barton



Series: Soulmates [1]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-04-18 17:39:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 67,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14218293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: I wrote a series of stories for Souyo Week 2018.  For one of the days I choose to write a Soulmates AU, and I had several people ask if I could expand it because they thought it was interesting - the premise is that the rumor about seeing your soulmate on the Midnight Channel is actually true.The alternative title for this story based on a friend's recommendation is: I Saw a Video on the Midnight Channel Proclaiming My Love for My Best Friend, But It's Just a Rumor, Right?  (AKA if this were a light novel lol)





	1. Rumor

“Have you guys heard the rumor about the Midnight Channel?” Chie asked before class had started.  Chie had short, brown hair in a bob cut and always wore a green jacket with yellow stripes over her school uniform.  For girls the uniform consisted of a black blazer with white stitching and a yellow ribbon around the collar, along with a black and white checker pleated skirt.  The boys wore a black blazer and black slacks that also had white stitching.  Chie, Yukiko, Yu, and Yosuke all sat around each other in the classroom and had taken to chatting before class and during breaks (and even during class if they could get away with it). 

“I can’t say that I have,” Yu replied, his voice smooth and collected.  His hair and eyes were both gray, and his hair hung down into his eyes but was styled to sweep to the side just above them so he could see.  He wore a white dress shirt under the blazer, but had the collar popped and the buttons loose around the collar and bottom as a small act of rebellion.  He had a confident, unaffected presence that immediately attracted the attention of most of the second years when he arrived; he had moved to Inaba at the start of the school year to stay with his uncle while his parents were working overseas.

“Is it that soulmates thing?” Yosuke asked, his foot tapping in time to the music he had going in his headphones.  They were red and orange, and he had them resting around his neck so he could listen to the music and the conversation simultaneously.  He wore a white shirt with a red v-neck collar under his blazer and had dyed messy orange-brown hair that he parted down the middle so his bangs swept to each side. Yosuke had moved to Inaba in the middle of the semester the year before; his father came to run the Junes department store that had just opened up, so he got heckled by a lot of the locals who thought Junes was trying to steal local business.  The three of them were the closest things he had to friends in the area.

“Really Chie?  This again?” Yukiko, her best friend sighed while flipping her long, black hair over her shoulder.  Yukiko wore a red cardigan over her uniform and kept her hair pulled back with a red headband.  Yukiko’s family owned the Amagi Inn which was a famous onsen in the area due to how long the family had been running it and how well they maintained it.  She was also popular in school, although she ignored most of the attention and preferred to hang out with her childhood friend Chie.

Chie was the resident tomboy and was obsessed with kung fu movies.  She was also in tune with the town gossip and was the first to know when something was going on.  “Yes, it’s the soulmate thing.  And, yes, I’m going to explain it because Narukami-kun doesn’t know about it.”  She then leaned forward in her chair in order to set the scene.  “The rumor is, if you look at a tv when it’s turned off on a rainy night at midnight, you’ll see your soulmate!”

Yukiko rolled her eyes, while Yosuke snorted.  “That’s such a lame rumor,” he complained.  “There’s no way that’s for real, right guys?”

He looked over at Yu and Yukiko.  Yukiko looked like she agreed, but Yu just shrugged his shoulders.  “Can’t hurt to try it out, right?” Yu reasoned.

Chie grinned.  “Yeah, Yosuke, can’t hurt to try it out,” she grinned.

“Hey, why does Narukami get respect while I get the rude treatment,” Yosuke complained, noting that Chie had used an honorific with Yu, while he got first name treatment by them not long after moving there.

Chie shrugged.  “I guess I feel like he deserves it more?” she replied, causing Yosuke to sputter in annoyance.  She laughed before answering honestly, “I mean we still don’t know Narukami-kun really well.  It would be weird to call him by his name.”

“It won’t bother me,” Yu replied.  Both Chie and Yukiko blushed lightly at the comment, and Yosuke gagged at their reaction.

“Alright then, Yu-kun,” Yukiko replied with a slight giggle, while Chie nodded in response.

Their conversation was then interrupted by their teacher’s arrival and the start of class.  After classes were out for the day and they gathered their stuff to head home, Chie made them all promise to give it a try that night since it was supposed to rain in the evening.  “Yeah, yeah,” Yosuke said before stalking off while holding his bag over his shoulder. 

He had to go straight to Junes after class for work that day; he worked part time for his dad so he could have extra money to spend on music and videogames.  He was mainly stuck in the produce department helping to keep it stocked – a difficult job to do during the pre-dinner rush when they always had special deals on the produce.  After he wrapped up his shift, he headed home to eat dinner and to pretend to work on his homework.  He instead wound up listening to music while flipping through the week’s _Shounen Jump_ , wishing he were back in the city where he used to go out and hang out with his friends.  They had quickly fallen out of touch since he moved here, and he spent most of his free time alone, only occasionally hanging out with Chie and Yukiko when they invited him into town.

He was interrupted shortly before midnight by a text message from Chie, asking if he was awake and reminding him he had to check the Midnight Channel.  Yosuke scoffed before setting down his book and resting on his bed with his hands behind his head.  He watched the television idly, focused more on the current song that was playing.  Thus, he almost missed it when the tv suddenly crackled on with static as it hit midnight.  Yosuke blinked in surprise, especially when a shadowy figure came into view.  Yosuke squinted his eyes, and as he watched the figure began to grow clearer until he finally recognized it.  It was the new kid, Narukami Yu. 

‘What the hell kind of joke is this?’ Yosuke wondered, pulling out his phone to send a text message to Chie about how this joke wasn’t funny.  There was no way his soulmate was a dude, especially not that new guy.  He was kind of jealous of Yu because everyone seemed to immediately like him while Yosuke got mainly scorn or indifference because of his dad.

Before he could send a text, however, he got a disappointed message from Chie who said that while the static had appeared, she hadn’t seen anything.  Yukiko chimed in the group chat that she hadn’t either, and Yosuke suddenly didn’t know what to think.  ‘Why did I see Yu then?’ he thought, wondering if maybe their prank was just very elaborate.

“I told you it was lame,” Yosuke texted back.

“Maybe it just means we don’t have soulmates,” Chie replied while including the deep sigh emoji. 

Yosuke noticed an unknown number in the chat, and he realized that Chie had probably included the new guy.  “What about Yu?” he messaged, suddenly feeling curious.

No one messaged for a few moments, and Yosuke had a feeling that Yukiko and Chie were curious as well.  After a few minutes, Yu finally replied.  “I did see someone,” was his response, but no matter how many questions Chie and Yukiko asked him, he refused to give any details.

Yosuke was in too much shock to respond at first, wondering who it was Yu could have seen.  ‘What…if he saw me?’ Yosuke though, before shaking his head.  This all was just an elaborate prank, and he’d worry about it tomorrow in class.  Instead, he sent a message aimed at Yukiko and Chie telling them to knock it off and that maybe Yu had a reason he didn’t want to say anything.  “Can’t you respect a guy’s privacy?” he messaged.

He then got a separate text message from Yu’s number thanking him for his help and asking if it was ok to save his number.  Yosuke ignored the slight blush on his cheeks and replied, “Sure,” before quickly saving Yu into his contacts.  He then flipped his phone shut before tossing it on his bedside.  ‘I should probably try to get some sleep,’ he thought, before going to go brush his teeth and get ready for bed.

The next morning before class, Yukiko and Chie were already there asking Yu about what he had seen.  “Could you tell who it was, or was it just the outline of a figure?” Yukiko asked.

Yu met Yosuke’s eyes as he walked up to set his things down at his desk which was situated behind Yu’s.  Yu quickly looked away, before saying honestly, “I could tell who it was.”

Yukiko and Chie gasped in awe.  “Really?” Chie asked.  “Then why won’t you say who it is?”

Yosuke grumpily sat down.  “Maybe he doesn’t want some weird rumor spreading around about them,” he said.  “Or thinks it may be inconvenient for the other person.”

Chie turned to look at Yosuke, looking irritated for a moment before a thoughtful expression suddenly crossed her face.  “You know, Yosuke, you never mentioned if you saw someone or not,” she said pointedly. 

Yosuke blushed furiously before pulling out one of his textbooks to hide behind.  “I didn’t,” he grunted, ducking behind the book and putting on his headphones.

Chie immediately pulled Yukiko aside and they began whispering furiously until the teacher arrived. All morning Yosuke found himself staring at the back of the new student, unable to get what he had seen that night out of his head.  There was no way Yu had seen him too, right?  In fact, Yosuke had been tired last night and probably imagined it anyway.  He got his answer later, when Yu approached him during the lunch hour, asking if he could meet him up on the rooftop to eat.  Yosuke’s kneejerk reaction was to refuse, but the quiet transfer student’s steady gaze caused him to falter. 

“Yeah, ok,” he found himself replying instead, heading to the cafeteria to grab himself something to eat before heading up to where the rooftop was.  He found Yu already out there, sitting on a metal part of the roof that he was using as a bench and eating homemade food.  Yosuke vaguely knew that Yu was staying with his uncle who was a detective and figured that he didn’t have time to cook, so asked, “Did you make that yourself?” while sitting down with his onigiri and drink from the vending machine.

“Yeah,” Yu replied.  “Is that all you’re going to eat?” he asked nodding at the onigiri.

Yosuke shrugged.  “Mom refuses to pack my lunch – says I’m too old for that.  And I kind of suck at cooking.”  He took a bite – it wasn’t anything special, but it at least filled his stomach.

“So, why’d you want to meet me anyway?” he finally asked.  Yu was carefully pushing food around in his container and paused thoughtfully.

“Did you really not see anything last night?” he asked, and Yosuke hesitated to reply.  He wanted to outright lie like he had that morning, but part of him felt like it would be wrong.  He began to jiggle his leg, arms crossed as he looked across the rooftop.  He had already finished his onigiri and still felt pretty hungry.

Finally, he responded.  “I may have seen something,” he admitted.  To his surprise, he suddenly something in his peripheral vision and turned to see that Yu was trying to hand it to him.  “Dude, I’m not going to steal your food,” he said after realizing it was one of Yu’s containers.

“I’ve already eaten plenty,” Yu said, pointing to the already empty container sitting next to him.  “I know you’re still hungry.  Next time I’ll make enough for both of us.”

Yosuke felt his cheeks warm, before hesitatingly taking it.  Yu had an extra pair of chopsticks that he handed over, and Yosuke carefully took them before picking up a piece of the ginger pork and popping it in his mouth.  “Wow, you can really cook,” he said in amazement.  “Are you sure you want to share this with me?”

Yu laughed and nodded, looking pleased.  “Please, help yourself,” he said, and Yosuke quickly inhaled the rest of the food.

“You know, I was going to refuse your offer to share your lunch with me.  But I don’t know if I want to anymore,” Yosuke said good naturedly.  He then tapped his chopsticks on the empty container.  “So…what did you see?” he asked, carefully avoiding the gaze of the gray haired boy sitting next to him.

Yu leaned back, studying Yosuke carefully.  “I think you know,” he replied calmly.

“Well, I can’t be sure until you tell me, right?” Yosuke grunted, arms crossed.  He had swapped moving his leg for tapping on his arm instead.

“I saw you,” Yu said simply, still watching Yosuke for a reaction.  Yosuke’s shoulders slumped and he looked down before turning to face him.  While Yu was all grays and calm, Yosuke was bright with expressive brown eyes.  Those eyes currently bored into Yu’s searchingly, and he found it was his turn to lightly blush.

“I saw you too,” Yosuke finally admitted, before running a hand through his hair in frustration.  “What does that mean though?  And why didn’t Chie or Yukiko see anything?”

Yu shrugged his shoulders.  “I’m not sure,” he replied.  “I don’t think we should think too much about it though.  Just use this as an opportunity to become friends?”  It was now Yu’s turn to look away nervously, and Yosuke stared in surprise.

“You want to be friends?” he asked, his voice coming out with a slight squeak.  “You’ve got the whole class after you, and you want to be friends with…with _me_?”

Yu nodded.  “You’re the only one here who treats me like a normal human being,” he said honestly.  “It’s…refreshing.”  He paused.  “I’ve never had anyone act that way before.”  Yu normally kept his distance from people since he moved around a lot with his parents’ jobs, but Yosuke had managed to catch his attention due to the familiar, laid back way he treated him.

Yosuke thought for a few moments, before nodding to himself.  “Hey, if you’re going to cook lunch for me, I think the least I can do is be your friend,” he joked, before holding his fist in front of Yu.  Yu studied it for a moment before grinning and bumping his fist against Yosuke’s in return.  They still weren’t sure about the soulmate thing, but they were sure this was a tentative step to a real friendship.


	2. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke and Yu learn how to become friends.

The next day before class, Yosuke spotted Yu on the way in.  Yosuke lived a bit further out than Yu and always biked (and often slept in late) so he was usually rushing to make it into class.  Today he had gotten up on time for a change, and Yu seemed genuinely surprised to see him pull up and slide off his bike so they could walk together.  “I didn’t think you knew how to make it in this early,” Yu joked, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“Ha ha,” he replied.  “I didn’t stay up too late last night for a change,” he admitted.

Yu grinned at him.  “It’s nice to talk to someone on my way into school,” he replied.

Yosuke looked pointedly at all of the other students walking around them and going in the same direction.  They were close by the school now so there were quite a few.  “You can’t tell me you never have anyone to talk to,” Yosuke pointed out.  “They’re always clamoring to talk to you during lunch and free period.”

Yu shrugged.  “I’ll talk to Yukiko-san and Chie-san sometimes when we run into each other.  For the most part I people watch on my way in,” he responded.

They had reached the gate of the school and turned in to head to the bicycle rack so Yosuke could lock up his bike.  Yosuke thought back to the past few weeks, and he realized that while Yu had a lot of people interested to talk to him, he had remained pretty quiet for the most part and seemed to ignore a lot of the attention.  He had been too blinded by jealousy to really pay attention.  He stopped to lock his bike, and Yu waited for him.  “I guess I’ll have to try to get up earlier then,” Yosuke said nonchalantly and his new friend smiled gratefully.

“I don’t know.  It’s quite exciting to see you fly in just before the teacher does,” he lightly teased as they headed into the building to take off their shoes and change into the indoor school shoes.

“Hey, don’t make me rethink my kind gesture,” Yosuke joked, quickly swapping them out and following Yu up to the second floor where their classroom was located.  Yosuke sat his stuff down behind Yu, surprising Chie and Yukiko who had also just arrived.

“Yosuke, this is the earliest I’ve ever seen you at school,” Chie declared, and Yukiko giggled.  “Am I hallucinating?”

“You’re soooo not funny Chie,” Yosuke sighed, and Chie grinned.

“It’s a nice change not seeing you rushing before the bell,” Yukiko agreed.  Yosuke blushed lightly at the attention, not knowing what to say when Yukiko said it in a nicer way.

“Let’s not tease Yosuke too much,” Yu lightly admonished.

“Dude, you were teasing worse than they were!” Yosuke complained, and the others laughed.

During class that day, Yosuke tried to stamp down his irritation whenever Yu answered a question correctly or got obvious praise from the others in class.  Now that he was starting to get to know the guy, he realized he wasn’t doing it for the praise and wasn’t an attention seeker like he had mentally painted him shortly after arriving.  He was just answering the question because he had probably studied unlike Yosuke who was a slacker.  And seemed to be a nice guy so people naturally gravitated toward him.  ‘It’s not his fault his dad’s not the manager of Junes which basically turned this whole shitty town against me,’ Yosuke thought begrudgingly.  Plus, Yu didn’t want to hang out with all the kids who crowded around him; for some reason he wanted to be friends with Yosuke. 

When it finally came time for lunch, Yu pulled out his bento which definitely looked larger than the day before and turned around to show it to Yosuke.  “Ready to eat?” he asked.

“Sure, let me get you a drink as my way to say thanks,” Yosuke offered.  Yu mentioned he wanted an iced coffee and Yosuke nodded before heading to the vending machine to get Yu the coffee and himself a soda.  He then headed up to the roof to meet up with his new friend.  This time Yu brought a variety of items – steamed rice, rolled eggs, salad, fish and tofu.  Yosuke ate a little bit of everything but the tofu, which caught Yu’s attention.

“Don’t like tofu?” he commented before taking a sip of his coffee.

“Unless it’s ganmodoki, no,” Yosuke admitted.  “My mom cooked it way too much when I was a kid and we were living off dad’s store associate wages.”

Yu carefully stored away that knowledge for the future.  Yosuke had practically inhaled everything else of his share, so he figured the cheerful brunet liked the rest.  They spent the rest of the lunch break chatting about class and what it had been like living in the city.  Yosuke bemoaned the days living in the city and being able to grab food at the 7/11 near school, although admitted that Yu’s food so far was much better.  Yu quietly acknowledged that so far he enjoyed Inaba more – everyone here was friendlier to him than in the city.  That response caused Yosuke’s jealousy to shoot up again, and he was quiet for a moment as he tried to calm himself down and sort through it.

‘It’s not his fault things are better here for him than for me,’ Yosuke had to think to himself.  It was really hard, since so far Inaba hadn’t been a pleasant experience for him.  Yet, he had to admit, having Yu to talk to was starting to turn that around for him a little bit.  He noticed Yu looking over at him curiously and shot a weak smile.  “Sorry dude I just…Inaba hasn’t been exactly nice to me so I was trying to sort that out of my system,” he said, before looking down.

“I’ve noticed,” Yu replied with a frown.

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Yosuke replied with a nervous laugh.  “I’ve mostly gotten used to it.  I…just had to remind myself it wasn’t your fault?  I can be kind of an ass sometimes so I’m trying to work on that.”  Yosuke inwardly flinched at his babbling, looking over worriedly to see what Yu’s reaction was to it.

Yu shrugged.  “I can understand why you’d be upset,” he replied.  “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Yosuke breathed a sigh of relief.  “Thanks for being cool,” he said.  “And for lunch – it was delicious!”

Soon it was time to head back down for afternoon classes.  Yosuke had work again after class that day and had enough time to hurry home and change this time before his shift started.  The rest of the school week played out similarly, with Yosuke and Yu slowly growing closer and Yosuke working on controlling his jealousy.  By the end of the week he felt like he had it pretty under control and like things were going well with their burgeoning friendship.

During the following week, they had a big test coming up in their history class that Yosuke felt in no way prepared for.  He was complaining about it to the others after class as they gathered their stuff together to leave, and he was surprised when Yu interrupted him.  “Do you have work today?” Yu asked.

“No, when dad found out I had a test he made sure to arrange my schedule with time to study.  Why?” Yosuke asked.

“Would you like to come to my house to study?” Yu offered, and Yosuke clammed up.  Even in the city he had never been offered to hang out at one of his friend’s houses; they always ended up wandering the city and hanging out in public places instead.

“Are…you sure?” Yosuke asked.  “It’ll be ok with your uncle?”

“More than likely he won’t be home,” Yu replied.  “He works long hours.  But he doesn’t mind as long as I keep things clean and quiet.  You can meet my cousin – I think she’d be happy to meet you.”

“You think she’d be happy to meet me?” Yosuke asked incredulously, but Yu refused to explain why, wanting to leave it a surprise.  “I mean if it’s ok, I’ll definitely come study.  At this point I need all the help I can get.  My parents will probably be ecstatic that I’m getting help from the smart transfer student,” he joked.  “Just let me get home to change first.”

Yu nodded.  “That way I can let Nanako know to prepare for the visit.  She can be a bit shy,” he explained.

They then parted ways, Yosuke heading to grab his bike while Yu headed straight to the Dojima residence.  Like he thought, Nanako seemed a bit hesitant when he mentioned he was bringing a friend over, but she warmed up to the idea when he promised to make her omurice for dinner and that she could sit with them while they studied.  Nanako was a good girl, and he knew she’d quietly work on her homework and wouldn’t interrupt them.

He also headed upstairs to quickly change out of his uniform, putting on a white undershirt and some gray sweats that he liked to wear around the house and to sleep in.  He felt like being comfortable since they wouldn’t be leaving the house.  There was soon a buzz at the door, and Yu headed downstairs to let Yosuke in.  Yosuke was wearing forest green pants, an orange shirt, and a white, fur lined jacket since it was still cold, especially in the evening.  He was currently taking off his boots so he could use the house slippers that Yu had brought out for him, but he stopped to smile and wave as he noticed Nanako peeping out at him from behind Yu’s leg.  Nanako had medium length brown hair pulled into two pigtails, a pink dress, and a white sweater under the dress.  Her brown eyes were studying Yosuke shyly, and after Yosuke finished switching to the house slippers he bent down to introduce himself.  “You must be Nanako-chan,” he said cheerfully.  “My name is Yosuke – I’m your cousin’s friend at school.  It’s nice to meet you!”

“Nanako, Yosuke’s father is the manager at Junes,” Yu explained.  “He works there too part time.”

“Really?” Nanako asked excitedly.  She then immediately hummed the theme song before saying, “I love Junes!  Big bro takes me there sometimes to buy groceries for dinner!  It’s very nice to meet you, Yosuke-kun!”

Yosuke’s eyes widened in shock, and Yu thought he almost saw small teardrops appear at the corner of his eyes.  He blinked a few times before quickly rubbing at his eyes with his jacket.  “You really love Junes, Nanako-chan?” he asked, and Nanako nodded.

“It’s my favorite!” she replied happily, and Yosuke stared at the ground dumbfoundedly for a moment.

He then looked up at Yu who smiled widely at him.  “You could have given me some warning,” he hissed, but Yu could tell that he looked incredibly happy.

“Oh, Big Bro made some snacks for us to eat while we study,” Nanako said, before heading to the kitchen to carefully grab the plate of fruit and cookies that Yu had thrown together.  Yu also made them some tea, and they soon spread out their textbooks and notes on the living room coffee table, leaving some room for Nanako to work on her homework as well.

Yosuke was immediately impressed by Yu’s ability to explain the information and point out what would be necessary for the test, and after awhile he finally asked about it.  “I mean, I figured you were a smart guy, but how are you so good at this?” he asked.

Yu chuckled before taking a sip of his tea.  “I actually have a part time job tutoring, so I’ve gotten a lot of practice explaining study material,” he admitted.  “Plus explaining it helps me study too, so this really helps.”

“Glad I could be of service,” Yosuke joked, and they went back to focusing on studying some more.  Around five o’clock, they stopped so Yu could make them dinner.

“Big Bro said he’d make us omurice for dinner,” Nanako said cheerfully, closing her workbook now that she was done with her homework.  “Is it ok if I watch _Magical Detective Loveline_ while you make dinner?” she asked.

“Of course you can,” Yu said, and while he cooked he was amused to see Yosuke settle down next to Nanako to watch with her.  He seemed just as invested in the show as she was, and they both kept discussing their theories on who the villain was that episode and what the clues were that the Magical Detective was uncovering.  Nanako looked like she was having fun, and it warmed Yu’s heart for the young girl was usually a bit lonely.  Yu remembered Yosuke’s comment before about being “kind of an ass” and couldn’t help but slightly disagree.  Seeing how nice he was with Nanako made him realize that he was actually a pretty nice guy.

Yu was soon finished and they moved to the kitchen table to eat.  Nanako and Yosuke both complimented Yu’s cooking, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit proud that they both liked it so much.  Yosuke then helped him clean the dishes while Nanako went into her room to read and relax before getting ready for bed.  “You didn’t tell me Nanako-chan would be so cute,” Yosuke said as he washed the dishes.  “And, she actually likes Junes?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Yu shrugged as he dried them and put them away.  “I wanted you to see that there are some people who like it too.”

Yosuke was quiet for a few moments, before saying softly, “Thanks man…”

They then worked on some of their other homework, Yu convincing Yosuke to do it for a change since he was over there anyway.  Afterward, they watched TV for a bit and chatted before Yosuke had to head home before it got too late.  “Hey…thanks for today,” Yosuke said as he was switching back to his boots at the door.  “I’ve never actually hung out at a friend’s house before?  So, this was nice.”

He looked a bit embarrassed by his admission, until Yu said, “And you’re the first friend I’ve ever invited over, so thanks for coming.”  He said it so sincerely that Yosuke found himself at a loss yet again. 

He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair before saying, “Anytime, pal,” and laughing nervously.  “But, seriously, thanks for the help.  I think I may actually make a decent grade on that test tomorrow.  See ya later!”  He then headed out to his bike that was parked at the gate to the Dojima residence, and Yu waved from the doorway back.  He watched to make sure Yosuke had gotten on securely and was riding away before closing the door.  Inaba was really turning out to not be that bad of a place after all, Yu thought to himself as he tidied up the living room before heading upstairs to his own room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @HanakoFujioka I have officially started this full Soulmates AU with the start of a new chapter 2 :) I figure that having a new friend would be something new for both of them, since Yosuke's friends in the city seemed frivolous at best and Yu didn't really appear to have a lot of friends before Inaba. Also I wanted to ensure Yosuke worked through some of his jealousy issues as well.


	3. Avoidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke starts avoiding Yu after watching the Midnight Channel.

Not long after their study session and subsequent test, which Yosuke did perform better on than normal, it was another rainy night in Inaba.  Yosuke had lost track of time playing a videogame and was wrapping up on it just before midnight, cursing at himself because he had school the next morning.  ‘This is why you always sleep in,’ he internally berated himself as he turned off the game.  He suddenly thought again of the strange rumor with the Midnight Channel, and he decided on a whim to check it out again.

Sure enough, right at midnight static crackled on his screen and the now familiar image of Narukami Yu popped onto the screen.  Only this time the figure seemed to notice him too and smiled warmly in a way Yosuke hadn’t noticed on his new friend yet.  He felt a weird knot tighten in his stomach at the smile, and Yosuke quickly shut off the television, before dropping the remote on the bed next to him.  It would inevitably end up on the floor by tomorrow, but he was too lazy to return it to the television stand.  ‘What the hell was that,’ Yosuke thought, the image of Yu smiling at him burned into his brain.  He quickly tried to ignore it and lay down to get some sleep before waking up early for school the next day, but found his mind was buzzing with questions instead.

Why had he seen Yu yet again?  Why did what was on screen seem to notice him?  Why did none of the others see anything, only those two?  Yosuke ended up tossing and turning all night, and he was almost late getting to class yet again the next day.  It was strange because he had actually been in early the past several days so he could meet up with Yu, and the boy in question gave him a curious look as Yosuke rushed into class just as the late bell was ringing.  He dumped his bag on the desk behind Yu’s and nearly fell over sitting down, his eyes bleary and a yawn escaping his lips.  “Everything ok, Yosuke?” Yu whispered; their teacher wasn’t here quite yet and was usually a few minutes late.  He hated the students, and they all disliked him in return.

Yosuke found he couldn’t meet Yu’s worried gaze, and instead nodded his head in reply before busying himself with pulling his stuff out of his bag.  He was saved from more questions by the appearance of their teacher Morooka-sensei, who the students had all nicknamed King Moron due to his bad personality.  He immediately went off on one of his usual tirades about “the youth of today,” and Yu immediately turned around to feign attention in order to avoid getting into trouble.

Once it finally became time for lunch, Yosuke hurriedly made his way to the main hall to grab himself a snack before hiding out in the courtyard so he could avoid Yu, Chie, and Yukiko; the latter two usually ate together in the classroom.  He did get a text from Yu asking if he was going to join him for lunch and checking to see if he was doing alright, and Yosuke messaged back he had something to work on and wouldn’t be joining him today.  Yu didn’t respond again after that, and Yosuke felt a bit guilty.  However, ever since last night he had been feeling more of those weird knots in his stomach, especially when looking at Yu, and he felt like couldn’t face him until he worked out whatever it was.  It would be too awkward and probably embarrassing.  ‘I’m sure this will pass soon and I’ll just apologize,’ Yosuke reasoned.

However, the feelings continued to persist for several days, and Yosuke quickly regretted checking out that weird channel again.  He continued to avoid Yu, coming in right before the bell, avoiding him at lunch, and rushing home after class with work as an excuse in the afternoon.  He continued to feel guilty about it, especially when he began to notice how the young man who had started to gradually open up had grown even more taciturn than he had been on the first day of class.  Chie and Yukiko had noticed as well, which was what led to Chie dragging him away during the lunch break to question him while Yukiko kept Yu company.

“Ok, what is going on with you Yosuke?” Chie asked.  She had brought him to the roof which only made Yosuke feel worse because it had basically become his and Yu’s spot during lunch.  He had noticed that Yu had stopped making the bigger bento lunches finally and had probably been eating up here all alone.

“What do you mean?” Yosuke replied defensively, kicking at the ground and trying to ignore the shame and self-doubt flooding his mind.

“Between you and Yu-kun obviously,” Chie huffed, hands on her hips.  She was used to Yosuke’s moodiness by now and didn’t let it deter her.  She knew it was best to cut to the chase and take away his excuses.  “One minute you’re buddy buddy and the next you can’t give him the time of day.  In case you haven’t noticed, it’s really hurt his feelings.”

Yosuke ran a hand through his hair before sitting down.  He rested his head on his knees and let out a deep sigh.  “Things are just…weird,” he confessed, and Chie’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Weird how?” she asked, sitting down next to him.

Yosuke leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest.  “I wasn’t entirely truthful when I told you I didn’t see anything on the Midnight Channel,” he suddenly confessed.  If Chie was going to understand what he was going through, she needed the whole story.

“Yukiko and I had a feeling,” Chie admitted.  “You were way too defensive about it.  So, what did you see?”

“I saw Yu,” Yosuke replied hesitantly.  “And he saw me.”

Chie’s eyes widened.  “What?  You saw each other?” she asked in shock.

Yosuke nodded.  “We both agreed that it was just this weird thing and we would ignore it and become friends,” he explained.  “But then…the other night when it was raining I happened to be up.  And I got curious and checked it out again.”

“What did you see?” Chie prompted when he faltered.

“I saw him.  Again.  It was just…really weird,” Yosuke answered.  “I just…I don’t know how to face him now?  I feel all weird and jumbled up.  And guilty because, yeah, of course I’ve noticed I’ve hurt his feelings.  It’s like I told him before, I’m just an ass.”

Yosuke looked down and his shoulders slumped.  “Yeah, you are an ass sometimes,” Chie replied after a few minutes, and Yosuke flinched.  “But, you know what Yosuke.  I’ve been seeing some good changes in you since you started hanging around Yu-kun.”

Yosuke looked over at her in surprise.  He had never had Chie say something semi-nice about him before.  “I used to just see you as kind of a slacker but didn’t want to leave you alone when most of the school is kind of mean to you,” Chie added.  “But when you started to hang around Yu-kun, you opened up more to all of us, and I realized you can actually be a decent guy.  So, instead of moping around, I think you should focus on what really matters.”

“What do you mean?” Yosuke asked in confusion.

Chie let out an annoyed sigh.  “You are so dense sometimes, Yosuke.  Let me put it this way.  How do you feel right now?”

“Miserable,” Yosuke admitted.

“How do you feel when you hang out with Yu-kun?” she prodded.

Yosuke blushed slightly.  “It’s fun,” he finally admitted.  “It’s like…I was finally starting to have a real friend?”

Chie bit her lip.  ‘Maybe that’s why he’s so dense,’ she realized.  Apparently, Yu and Yosuke just didn’t have the experience that she and Yukiko did with their long friendship.  They frequently got into fights but knew how to make up as a result.  “So, if it’s more fun with Yu-kun, maybe you should go make up with him before you mess up this new friendship of yours,” Chie pointed out.  “It’s gotta be better than being miserable.”

Yosuke felt nervous about the idea, but he knew that Chie was right.  “Alright.  I’ll try,” he said, and Chie punched him on the arm.

“That’s better,” she grinned.  “Now let’s try to grab something to eat before lunch is over.  It’ll be on you since you owe me!”  Yosuke rolled his eyes, but he kept his complaints to a minimum this time.  Chie was right, he did owe her.

After class, he tapped Yu on the shoulder as they packed up their stuff to head out for the day.  Yu turned around to look at him in surprise, and he had an obviously guarded expression on his face.  “Do you have tutoring today?” Yosuke asked nervously, and Yu shook his head.  “I don’t have work either so…do you want to hang out?”  Yosuke felt incredibly nervous and kept fidgeting in his seat, not knowing how Yu would react.

To his relief, after studying him for a moment Yu replied calmly, “I’d like that,” and turned around to pack up the rest of his stuff.  Yosuke could tell by the tense set of his shoulders, however, that Yu wasn’t as calm as he was trying to appear.

Yosuke strengthened his resolve, and suggested they head to the shopping district to hang out.  He offered to treat him to ramen at the Aiya Chinese restaurant in order to make things up to him, and he felt nervous when Yu took several minutes to respond.  “That’s not necessary,” he replied, and Yosuke shook his head.

“No, I want to.  Look, I was being a jerk and while I’m going to explain everything, I want to make it up to you,” he explained as they walked.

Yu let out a sigh.  “Alright.  But I want you to be completely honest with me,” he replied, looking Yosuke in the eye.  Yosuke met his gaze this time and nodded.

“I will,” he said.  They then arrived at the diner and sat down at the bar before ordering.  While they waited for their food, Yosuke began to explain.  He went over watching the Midnight Channel again and seeing Yu show up and how weird it made him feel afterward.  He confessed that while Yu had asked him to forget about what they had seen and just focus on being friends, he couldn’t stop thinking about and questioning the weird situation and found it hard to face him afterward.  He admitted to being a jerk and not thinking about Yu’s feelings and being too afraid to explain what he was going through.  By the time the food arrived he had even apologized, which surprised Yu more than anything else.  “I could tell it was hurting your feelings, and I felt so shitty about it but was too afraid to admit I was scared,” Yosuke confessed, playing with the paper that his chopsticks had been stored in.

Yu split his chopsticks evenly before using them to stir the noodles, meat, and vegetables in his broth.  “I wish you had come to me about it so we could have worked through it together,” he explained.  “But I also wish you would stop beating yourself up about it.  I’m glad you finally told me what was going on.  And I forgive you.”

Yosuke was surprised by his response.  “Seriously?” he asked, nearly dropping his chopsticks in his soup.

Yu nodded.  “As long as going forward you let me know about it so we can work through it together.  Because,” he let out a sigh. “It did hurt when you were avoiding me.  I thought I had done something wrong.”

He continued to stir at his noodles, and he was surprised when Yosuke suddenly threw an arm around his shoulder.  “No, dude, I think at this point you can rule out any problems being with you,” he replied.  “It’s definitely all me and my stupid brain.”

Yu blushed slightly at the sudden contact, but he didn’t push it away.  Instead he leaned into it slightly, before replying, “It’s somewhat my fault too. I could have talked to you directly and instead closed myself off,” he admitted.  “So, it’s not all you.”  He smiled at Yosuke, and the brunet felt his heart stop for a moment.  It was the same warm smile he had seen on the Midnight Channel, and he felt his stomach tie up into knots again.  Only this time, he powered through it and tried to ignore the strange feelings.

“Just eat your ramen, dude,” he said, pointing out that Yu was still stirring them around in the broth.

“I could say the same to you,” Yu replied snarkily.  “You haven’t even touched yours yet.”

The remainder of their afternoon was spent with the same easy banter they had fallen into, and the next day at class Yukiko and Chie were pleased to see Yosuke arrive early again with Yu by his side into class.  “I’m glad those idiots figured it out,” Chie whispered to Yukiko, who giggled in agreement.


	4. Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu and Yosuke aren't back to where they started yet, but they're getting there.

Although things had gotten better after their talk, they still weren’t as close as they had been before Yosuke had started avoiding Yu.  The quiet transfer student was more cautious this time and seemed a little more distant, although he was slowly coming around as Yosuke’s lively personality started to chip away at his barriers again.  Yosuke found himself trying twice as hard to make up for his earlier blunder, and he made sure when he wasn’t at work to go out of his way to either talk to or message Yu until the mistrust went away.  He was almost afraid that he was overdoing it now, but Yu never complained and seemed to appreciate the effort.

He had, however, started making lunch for Yosuke again which the hungry teen definitely appreciated.  That week that he had returned to buying bread or other snacks for lunch had been pretty dismal, and Yosuke had found himself daydreaming about his friend’s food on more than one occasion.  He had also missed their conversations, and he quickly realized that hanging out with Yu made Inaba much more bearable because he was able to get away from the snide comments some of the other students would make around him.  They were currently on the roof at lunch, and Yosuke was inhaling Yu’s tonkatsu bento in-between inundating him with his usual chatter. 

Today, however, Yu’s aloof replies stood out more than usual, especially since Yosuke had become used to his warmer responses prior to the incident.  Yosuke found himself faltering, and he eventually stopped talking and started pushing around the remaining scraps of food in his container.  His silence caught Yu’s attention, and he asked, “Everything ok?”

Yosuke looked over and took a deep breath.  He had promised to be honest after all and didn’t want to break Yu’s trust even further.  “I dunno,” he started.  “I mean, it’s totally my fault but…you haven’t been talking to me like you used to.  And I keep on chattering on and feel like maybe I’m annoying you, but I was too afraid to ask so I figured I’d just shut up.”

Yu was silent for a few minutes, and Yosuke gave him time to gather his thoughts while inwardly panicking.  ‘I had to go and open my big mouth and now he’s going to hate me…’ his mind began to race, but his thoughts were soon interrupted by Yu.

“I’ve appreciated it, actually,” he replied honestly.  He was looking directly at Yosuke who looked back over in surprise.  Gray eyes caught brown, and they were soon locked into each other’s gaze.  “It made me happy that you’ve been talking to me so much because I appreciate our conversations,” he admitted.  “And you were being so earnest that it helped me realize you really do want to be friends and weren’t trying to…abandon this before.”

Yosuke was unable to hide his relief, which brought a slight smile to Yu’s face.  Yu leaned back and set down his empty container next to him.  “To be honest, I was just afraid this was going to be temporary, so I didn’t want to get my hopes up,” he replied.  “I’ll work on it so I don’t worry you anymore.”

His words cut into Yosuke, who began to understand a little what he put Yu through last week.  “Dude,” Yosuke started to reply, but before he could apologize again, Yu cut him off.

“Yosuke,” he said, and his friend immediately shut his mouth.  Although they were the same age, Yu sometimes almost had a commanding presence like a leader.  “Look, we both made a mistake last week.  So let’s just move past it so we can be on even footing.”

“What, like partners?” Yosuke asked, and Yu nodded.

“Something like that,” he agreed.  Yosuke thought about it, seemingly surprised at the idea of being equals to the smartest kid in class, but he decided to go along with it.  If it’s what Yu wanted, Yosuke would deliver.

“Alright then, partners,” Yosuke nodded to himself.  The rest of the lunch period passed more comfortably, and Yu even surprised Yosuke by asking if he wanted to hang out after school in the shopping district.  Yosuke didn’t have work that day and so readily agreed.

Once they got to the shopping district, they grabbed some topsicles from the Shiroku Store before going to sit outside at the tables in front of Souzai Daigaku.  While they relaxed and chatted, they noticed a girl wearing the Yasogami school uniform with wavy light-brown hair walking up the street.  Yu was surprised when he heard two pedestrians going the other way muttering to each other about how she was betraying her family before looking knowingly over at Yosuke.  Yu noticed Yosuke go quiet again, while looking over at the girl with a miserable expression on his face.  Yu frowned, and he actually started to stand up as if to stay something, but Yosuke shook his head and motioned for him to sit down.

“There’s no point, but thanks anyway man,” Yosuke said with a sigh.  “We’re in the main part of town that’s negatively effected by Junes, so a lot of people are unhappy.”  Yosuke nodded his head over to a store that was already shuttered and had been closed down recently. 

“That doesn’t mean they should take it out on you,” Yu replied, crossing his arms.  Yosuke merely shrugged despondently.  “And why were they like that toward that girl?” Yu asked after a moment, a curious expression on his face.  Yosuke obviously knew her, even though he hadn’t tried to talk to her or anything.

“Ah, that’s Saki-senpai,” Yosuke replied.  “Her family owns the liquor store up the street.  She used to work part time at Junes for awhile.”  Yosuke trailed off before looking down.  “She quit a few days ago because her dad didn’t like that she was working for the enemy.  Apparently, they’ve been having trouble with sales since we opened up.  People have been kind of mean to her like with me because of it.”  Yosuke was biting his lip, and Yu could tell that wasn’t all of the story.

“Was that all?” he asked, and Yosuke shook his head.

“I, uh, kind of had a crush on her for awhile?” he said nervously.  “I guess because we were in similar situations and she was always nice to me at work.  But, right before the semester started, I overheard her talking to a coworker and…she said some kind of not nice things about me,” he admitted.  “I guess I was bothering her or it could have been she was just miserable because of the situation with her family.  It just…hurt,” he laughed bitterly.  “She’s continued to be nice to me ever since but I just figured it was probably fake, you know?”

There was an unreadable expression in Yu’s eyes after Yosuke’s confession, and he could have sworn when he mentioned what he overheard from Saki that anger had burst in the other teen’s eyes.  Yu held it back under his calm façade, however, and replied, “I’m sorry you were treated that way. It must have hurt to find out she felt that way.”

“Yeah, it did.  It hurt a lot at first,” Yosuke replied.  “But, I don’t really blame her for it.  It’s a shitty situation, really.  Like with all the people here,” Yosuke motioned.  “They just want something to blame and it’s easier to blame me or my dad than a corporation, you know?”

“That’s surprisingly mature of you,” Yu teased while tossing his topsicle stick in the trash, and Yosuke punched him in the arm.

“Not cool.  You’re supposed to be comforting me,” he replied before tossing his as well.

“Really though, I’m impressed,” Yu grinned, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.  They headed down the road some more, stopping and turning in at the gate to the shrine.  Once they headed in, they noticed the sound of a kid crying and exchanged looks before heading to find out the source.  There was a little kid crying on the steps of the shrine, with a tall kid with short, bleached hair standing over him.  The tall kid had a scowl on his face and was wearing the Yasogami uniform; only he had his jacket resting on his shoulders, and they could clearly see a skull and crossbones shirt under his jacket. 

Yosuke immediately stepped forward to say something, but Yu stopped him when he noticed a facial expression change on the tall student.  He looked bewildered for a moment, and Yu had the feeling he didn’t know how to deal with the crying child as opposed to having caused the problem.  The other student kneeled down until he was face level with the kid and asked, “Hey, watcha cryin’ about?”  He was very rough in the way he said it, which made both Yu and Yosuke wince, but to their surprise the kid didn’t seem to mind.

The little kid, who was still sniffling, pulled out a stuffed rabbit that had an ear half torn off.  “I was just playin’ with Bun,” he started.  “But it’s my sissy’s and I shouldn’t ‘ve been playin’ with her and now she’s broke.”  He looked up at the other student with the most woeful expression, and both Yosuke and Yu wondered at how the tall kid would handle it.  To their surprise, he sat on the ground and pulled what looked to be a sewing kit out of his back pocket in the process.

“Let me see that,” he replied, a serious expression on his face.  It didn’t take him very long, and he soon had the bunny plush sewed back up for the astonished and much happier boy.

“Thanks mister!” the kid said excitedly as the student returned it to him.

“The name’s Kanji,” the kid grunted.  “No need t’ thank me – just make sure Bun gets back safely, go it?”  The kid again seemed unphased by Kanji’s gruff demeanor and excitedly ran off.

“That was really nice, what you did for that kid,” Yu congratulated him, and Kanji jumped before noticing his audience.  He ran a hand through his hair nervously and looked bashful, which was a strange experience for Yosuke because he was much bigger than them and dressed like a delinquent.

“How long were you there for?” he barked gruffly.

“Well, long enough to think you made the kid cry at first,” Yosuke replied testily.  He didn’t know why the other guy was using such a rough tone when Yu had only been complimenting him.

Kanji glared back at Yosuke, and Yu immediately deflated the situation.  “We didn’t mean to startle you.  We had just heard the kid crying and wanted to check on him.  You got there first and handled it very well though.”

“Uh, thanks, I guess, sempai,” Kanji replied.  He was a first year, so he figured since he hadn’t seen the other two in his grade they had to be older than him.  Not that Kanji always showed up to school anyway.  “I’ll be goin’,” Kanji replied, waving awkwardly before quickly walking away.

“Awkward…” Yosuke muttered under his breath, but Yu smiled lightly.

“I think he’s a good kid,” he replied, and Yosuke shook his head.

“Yeah, I mean, he was nice to the kid.  He’s just weird though.”  Something about how he treated Yu initially rubbed him the wrong way, and he also found he didn’t like too much the fact Yu was defending him afterward.  He didn’t really understand it since Kanji really hadn’t done anything wrong, and he tried to stamp down those feelings as the headed out from the shrine.  Not long afterward, Yu had to head home to cook dinner, and Yosuke decided he should probably head home as well.  By the end of their afternoon, things felt almost like they had before the incident, and Yosuke felt a huge relief off his shoulders.  Maybe things would start turning around for him now.


	5. Niche

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke's finally starting to find his place in Inaba :)

On their last day of class before Golden Week, Chie, Yukiko, and Yu were amazed to arrive and find Yosuke already in the classroom.  He was hunched over on his desk, head resting on his arm and facing away from the door, with his characteristic headphones on.  It was a pose obviously meant to close him off from the others, and the three friends exchanged glances.  Chie and Yukiko looked at Yu pointedly, and he nodded before turning his chair around to face Yosuke’s desk and plopping down.  He prodded Yosuke in the arm to get his attention, and the brunet sighed before pulling his headphones to his neck.  He remained sprawled across his desk but looked up to meet Yu’s questioning expression.

“What’s up?” Yu asked, tilting his head slightly.

Yosuke sighed.  “Just heard something from my parents last night that put me in a lousy mood.  Didn’t want to deal with them this morning so I left early.”  He looked away after replying, and Yu waited patiently.  After a moment Yosuke added, “My parents have signed up to have an exchange student come and stay with us.  He’s from the US and going to be in a grade below us.  They said they felt bad that I seemed to be having such a tough time here and thought maybe this way I could make a new friend.”  Yosuke sounded bitter as he spoke, but his expression appeared more anxious.

Yu noticed and decided to pry it out of him.  “So, are you upset because your parents thought you needed a friend?” he asked.

Yosuke sighed before sitting up.  “Not really.  I mean, before a few weeks ago they weren’t really wrong,” he admitted.  “I haven’t talked much about what’s been going on at school so they weren’t really aware things had changed…although, I kind of yelled about it last night so I think they’re aware now.”  Yosuke ran a hand through his hair.  “It’s more I feel bad that I worried them that much that they felt the need to try to make a friend for me.  And I have no idea how things are going to go with this guy.  What if we don’t get along?  I have to deal with him for the rest of the school year…”

Yosuke crossed his arms and looked down, and Yu mulled over what Yosuke had told him.  Just as he thought, Yosuke seemed more anxious than actually upset about the situation, and although he hadn’t said it outright, it seemed to come from a want to not worry his parents and a fear of disappointing them if things didn’t go well with the exchange student.  “I think you’ll be alright,” Yu replied thoughtfully.  “You’re a friendly guy so I think you’ll find a way to get along with the exchange student.  And the rest of us are here to help, right?” he asked, looking over at Chie and Yukiko.

“Of course!” Chie immediately replied, before lightly punching Yosuke on the shoulder.  “We’re going to help in any way we can.”

“Just leave it to us,” Yukiko agreed.

Yosuke let out a deep sigh.  “Thanks guys,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.  “It’s probably stupid how I overreacted… Guess I’ll have to apologize to my parents later…”

“Honestly, I can kind of understand,” Chie replied.  “I mean, you’re an only child so you’re not used to the idea of having to share anything, right?  And I can’t imagine it felt great that your parents thought they needed to help you make a friend, either.”  Yu appreciated Chie’s response, and felt her straightforward approach expressed it better than he would have been able to.

“Yes, there is nothing to be ashamed about,” Yukiko agreed.  “I think I would have been upset too if my parents sprung that on me without asking first.”

“See, nothing to worry about.  Although I think it’ll still be good to talk it out with your parents and explain why you were so upset,” Yu added.  Yosuke smiled gratefully at them, but their discussion was then interrupted by the warning bell.  They all then got themselves situated for the start of class, although everyone was pretty distracted with Golden Week starting the next day. 

During lunch, they all met up on the roof together for a change in order to discuss their plans over the break.  Both Yosuke and Yukiko had extra work that week since Junes and the Amagi Inn expected to have increased business during the holiday.  The Inn hosted a lot of people who came back to Inaba to spend time with family for the holidays but may not have enough space at home to host their extended family, while Junes had a lot of specials going on.  Yu would be watching Nanako for Dojima who had tried to get Golden Week off but ended up being called in when one of the other detectives called out sick.  Nanako was disappointed, but Yosuke promised to help Yu make it up to Nanako with a trip to Junes at sometime during the break.  Chie didn’t have much to do and planned to relax and watch kung fu movies and hang out with Yukiko whenever she had free time.

“Tomorrow is going to be the literal worst,” Yosuke groaned dramatically after finishing the lunch Yu had made for them.  Today it was curry and Yosuke seriously thought it was better than his mom’s.  Chie and Yukiko had both noticed the shared lunch but hadn’t commented beyond exchanging a knowing glance.  Chie had explained the soulmate situation to Yukiko after Yosuke begrudgingly gave her permission, but they were both being courteous about the whole thing since they knew how conflicted Yosuke was about it.

“Why is that?” Yu asked as he worked on his lunch.  He didn’t eat quite as fast as Yosuke who seemed determined to speed through everything in life.

“We have to get everything stocked and ready to go through the week.  It’s going to be brutal.  Plus, we’re short staffed because some people had to leave for the holidays to see family,” Yosuke sighed.  If only he had such an excuse; it was of course impossible when your father was the store manager.

“Need any help?” Yu asked, and Yosuke blinked in surprise.

“You’d be willing to help?  I thought you needed to watch Nanako,” he replied.

“My uncle will actually be home tomorrow.  He’ll be working throughout the week though,” Yu replied.  “I wouldn’t mind helping.”

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing to do either,” Chie shrugged. 

Yosuke’s mouth dropped open.  “Are…you sure?” he asked, obviously looking appreciative although he tried to downplay it.

“Yeah, I mean Yukiko’s going to be working at the inn all day so it’ll give me something to do,” Chi shrugged.  “Besides, I need to show you weaklings how it’s done!”

Yukiko giggled at her friend’s enthusiasm.  “I will be cheering you all on from afar,” she smiled.  “Maybe when we are all done working for the day we can meet up for dinner to celebrate?”

“Oooh, that sounds fun!” Chie said.  “We can meet at Aiya’s, and Yosuke will buy us dinner since we’re helping him out!”

Yosuke sputtered in protest.  “If you’re helping out, my dad will be paying you.  You can buy your own dinner,” he grumbled, while Chie laughed.

“I’m only joking,” she said.  “But, is everyone alright with dinner afterward?”

“Yeah, I’m down,” Yu agreed, and Yosuke and Yukiko agreed as well.

During dinner that night, Yosuke brought up his friends helping out to stock at Junes the next day, and his dad readily agreed, appreciating the help and also curious to see these friends of Yosuke’s.  His mom was jealous that he’d get to meet the friends first, and asked Yosuke to invite them over soon so she could meet with them (this brought on a new wave of anxiety to Yosuke, who carefully masked it – that would be a problem for a different day).  Yosuke also explained why he had blown up at them the night before, and how he was upset they had sprung it upon him without discussing it first.  His parents agreed it probably wasn’t the best approach, and they were both happy that he had become closer to Chie and Yukiko and made a new friend in Yu as well.  They also promised to help with the exchange student and reminded him that if he had any worries to bring it up to them so they could help.

The next day, Yosuke, Chie, and Yu arrived at Junes bright and early in order to begin stocking for the week.  They had a huge shipment come in the day before with extra pallets of product to stock for the big Golden Week sale.  They wouldn’t be dealing with the pallets directly since they were underage and couldn’t use the equipment, but they would be putting out product once one of the adults broke the pallet down.  Yosuke was giving them some tips on how to work efficiently to put out the product while he waited for his dad to give them some direction. 

Yosuke’s dad soon walked up to talk to them, and they were surprised by how different he looked from Yosuke.  His facial features were broader, he had short black hair that was starting to gray a little, and his eyes were darker than Yosuke’s, so they figured Yosuke probably looked a little closer to his mother.  He was, however, around the same height and build Yosuke was and when he stopped to talk to them they could tell that Yosuke took after his father in mannerisms because they crossed their arms in the exact same way.  “I really appreciate the help, kids,” his father said with a grin, putting them at ease.  “I know my son can be a bit of a scamp, so thank you for looking out for him at school.”

“Oh, it’s totally a pleasure,” Chie said cheerfully, while Yosuke glared at him.

“Daaaad,” he complained, and Mr. Hanamura chuckled in response. 

“I’ll have your money ready for you once your shift ends, so I can make sure you’re properly paid for the hours worked.  Yosuke will go over the safety procedures with you and knows what you’re allowed to handle since it’s the same for him.  Just follow his direction – he may act like a clown, but he’s actually a diligent worker.”

Yosuke blushed, but both Chie and Yu had to grin at the proud smile on Mr. Hanamura’s face.  It was nice to see him getting praise, especially because based on his meek reaction he wasn’t used to it.  He soon proved his father’s words to be correct, however, since at work he took on a much different persona than at school.  Here he was in his element, and he was soon seriously directing them on efficiently and safely putting out product and proving his skills by how much faster and more at ease he was able to do it.  Yu picked it up quickly and was getting pretty efficient, while Chie was able to keep up just by the amount she could carry compared to the other two, but they both had to admit that Yosuke was definitely more skilled and was very good at managing the tasks as well.  “You know, I never pegged you as the leader type until today,” Chie commented when they had stopped to take their 15 minute break.  Yosuke had treated them all to drinks and they were sitting in the break room and cooling off.

Yosuke laughed.  “Me, a leader?” he asked.  “You’re pulling my leg.”

“No, I agree.  You’re doing a great job directing us and showing us how it’s done,” Yu added.

Yosuke blushed bashfully.  “Now if you’d only learn how to not shoot off your mouth,” Chie mused, and she and Yosuke bickered for the rest of the break.  Yu watched in amusement, but he was definitely glad he had volunteered today and got to see a different side to the normally laid-back teen.

Once their break was over, they went back to work, and were able to wrap up before lunch.  Yosuke’s father thanked them for their hard work and handed envelopes of cash to Chie and Yu; Yosuke of course was paid with a regular paycheck at the end of the week.  They then headed their separate ways for the afternoon, promising to meet up at Aiya’s for dinner. 

When they met up, Chie, Yosuke, and Yu all ordered beef bowls while Yukiko ordered ramen, and they began exchanging stories about their day while they waited for the food.  Yukiko listened in amusement as Chie and Yu praised Yosuke at work as he tried to downplay it, which soon led to another bickering match between Chie and Yosuke.  Yukiko then regaled them about a particularly difficult person they had staying at the inn at the moment who liked everything in a precise way and was calling every hour to complain about something new.  The maids especially couldn’t stand her.

“She comes in every year and complains the whole time she’s here, but then later tells everyone it’s the only decent place to stay in town,” Yukiko said with a huff.  “We all wish she’d find someplace else to bother though…”

While they ate and chatted, Yosuke came to a sudden realization that warmed his heart.  Part of the reason why he had disliked Inaba so much, was back in the city he had a set of friends to hang around with after school.  They would wander the city, playing at the arcade, eating fast food, or reading manga at a manga café, so he had never been bored.  Since he hadn’t really hung out with anyone when he had first moved to Inaba, he had felt lonely, especially when he inevitably lost touch with his old friends who had moved on with their own lives.  Chie and Yukiko had tried to involve him a few times in the past, but he had never appreciated it and always felt like a third wheel.  Now though?  He finally felt like he had found his little niche in Inaba and it was nice. 

He met Yu’s gaze, and was startled to realize based on the other guy’s soft and happy expression that he knew that Yu felt the same way.  Yu had confessed to having no real friends before, so this may actually be his first time hanging out with a group of friends outside of school.  Yu tilted his head slightly and shot him a questioning glance, and Yosuke shook his head with a slight blush before motioning to his phone.  He’d text Yu about it later.  Yu nodded before becoming re-engaged in the conversation with Yukiko and Chie, and Yosuke couldn’t help but smile.  It felt good to see the gray-haired boy look so relaxed, and he felt a warm feeling settle in his chest for a different sort of reason.  Not long afterward, they had to go their separate ways since they didn’t want to be out too late, and they soon all headed home.


	6. Golden Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first day of Golden Week~ Yosuke gets a surprise visit at Junes and later has a chat with Chie.

On the first day of Golden Week, Yosuke was stuck working at Junes. Unlike on stock day where everyone wore normal clothes, Yosuke had to wear an apron that was white with an orange and red stripe.  They had him helping out in the food court that day, since they expected a lot of the local kids to hang out there since they weren’t in school.  Yosuke knew they weren’t wrong, because although a lot of the students made comments about him in relation to Junes at school, he often saw a lot of them shopping there anyway.  ‘Just typical,’ he thought as he walked through the food court, eyeing everything critically.  The food court was already open, but it was still too early for a lot of shoppers to be stopping by for lunch.

Upon seeing nothing to clean or straighten up, he then headed over to the main food stand where he would be acting as cashier.  One of the part time college students was in the back getting set up to take orders; she commuted to college from Inaba and Yosuke’s father was willing to work around her class hours.  That’s what killed Yosuke about how the town vilified his father; the man was actually a very good manager and took care of his employees, yet he was treated like the devil in town.

Yosuke’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing, and he immediately snapped his customer service smile on before looking up to prepare to take his first customer of the day’s order.  His eyes widened, however, and he felt his face freeze when he realized who it was.  “Yu?” Yosuke asked, voice a bit strangled from the surprise.

Yu grinned at him good naturedly.  “I told you I would be taking Nanako to visit,” he greeted, and Yosuke looked down to see Yu’s adorable cousin standing next to him shyly.  Her eyes shined in anticipation, however, and Yosuke once again felt his heart melt. 

His true, easy-going grin spread across his face, and he leaned over on the counter to catch Nanako’s attention.  “Hey Nanako-chan, what can I get for you today?” he asked cheerfully.

Nanako beamed up at him in reply, stating that the chicken nugget kid’s meal was her favorite.  “You really do work here, Yosuke-kun,” she added happily, delighted to see him there.

Yosuke’s cheeks flushed over how sweet she was.  “Yeah, I do.  I promised your big bro I’d make sure you had a good day today,” he grinned at her.

Yu watched them both fondly, incredibly grateful for how well Yosuke was treating his cousin yet again.  “What will you have?” Yosuke asked, turning to look at Yu.

“A burger and fries,” he replied.  He got a soda for himself and some juice for Nanako as well, and they both chatted with Yosuke while he rung them up and they waited on their food.  Once the food was ready, Yosuke set it out on a tray for them to carry to their table, throwing in an extra cookie for Nanako.  She asked her big bro excitedly if she could eat it, and he assured her it would be fine before shooting a warm glance as a thank you to Yosuke.  The brunet merely grinned in reply, glad to do something special for his new favorite customer.

They sat at the closest table to Yosuke’s booth, chatting with him as they ate.  Nanako looked completely content, and Yosuke could tell that she really enjoyed spending time with Yu.  ‘Not like most of the student body doesn’t feel the same,’ Yosuke mused, finally getting distracted as more customers walked up.  He had recommended a few stores for Yu to take Nanako to, for he wanted to get her a small present today to cheer her up, and when they finally got up to shop he gave them a small wave.

Nanako waved back enthusiastically, while Yu gave a small wave in reply.  He had a soft smile on his face, as he turned around and took Nanako’s hand to lead her to the escalator.  Yosuke felt warmth spread across his chest again, and he tried his best to tamp it down as he began to take care of the next customer.

That night, Yosuke sent a text to Yu, asking him if he was free in the afternoon tomorrow.  He only had a short shift in the morning and felt like it would be a good idea to spend some time with his friend.  Yu quickly messaged back apologizing and explaining he already had plans with Daisuke and Kou, two athletic students in the other second year class that he hung out with sometimes.  Yosuke felt immediate disappointment, and snapped his phone shut after giving a generic reply. 

Of course Yu would already have someone to hang out with.  The boy was incredibly popular in their grade, unlike Yosuke, and had befriended students across several organizations.  He didn’t work much, other than a tutoring job he took on occasionally, so he had more free time to try out different clubs and activities after school.  Yosuke let out a sigh before hanging his head.  He had gotten used to hanging out with Yu when he wasn’t working, and he wasn’t as acclimated to spending time alone anymore.  ‘Maybe I can try replaying a game tomorrow,’ Yosuke pondered, before the buzzing of his phone distracted him.

He flipped it open, surprised to see a text from Chie asking him if he had work the next day.  He messaged back that he’d be free in the afternoon, surprised when she then asked if he wanted to hang out.  Yukiko had to work at the inn tomorrow evening, and Chie was already growing bored.  Yosuke agreed, and they decided to meet the next day at Aiya’s since Chie loved their beef bowl so much.

When Yosuke arrived the next afternoon, he found Chie already waiting for him at the bar.  She was dressed in a light green cardigan, white blouse with a striped undershirt, blue skirt and some light green knee-high boots.  Yosuke felt weird seeing her without her uniform and trademark green sport’s jacket.  “Starting without me?” Yosuke huffed before sliding into the seat next to her.

Yosuke had on forest olive green pants, an orange shirt, a white jacket with faux fur along the hood, and boots.  Although it was starting to warm up finally, it was still cool at night so they dressed a little warmer.  He immediately hooked his foot onto the bar stool before tapping his fingers absentmindedly on the bar top.  Chie rolled her eyes.  “I just got here,” she snorted.  “I haven’t even ordered a drink yet.”

Once he sat down, the owner of Aiya’s gave them a wide grin before bringing them both water and asking cheekily if they were getting a beef bowl like usual.  Both immediately agreed, and he stepped away to get started on their order.  The owner was a nice guy and often liked to talk to patrons about his daughter who ran delivery for them part time.  Chie let out a sigh, swinging her legs under the chair since she was just short enough not to reach the ground.  “It’s so boring with Yukiko working all the time,” she grumbled, placing her head on the bartop.  “It sucks to be off from school and have nothing to do…”

“Maybe you should take on a part time job?” Yosuke suggested before taking a sip of his water, trying not to think about how he had been having similar thoughts about Yu.  He had his headphones around his neck, and Chie could hear light music coming from them. 

“My parents won’t let me.  My grades are already bad enough and they don’t want anymore distractions,” Chie shrugged.  “It would be nice to have more than just allowance money though…”

Yosuke laughed.  “I think my parents have given up on grades and have decided forcing me into a work ethic is a better use of their time,” he joked.  Chie grinned at him – they at least had one thing in common.

“Why do you have those on all the time?” Chie asked curiously, nodding at his headphones. 

Yosuke placed one hand on his headphones, scrunching his eyebrows as he tried to come up with a way to reply.  “I’ve always loved music,” he shrugged.  “And with these I can drown out those jerks in town and at school.”

Chie frowned at his response, looking a bit guilty.  “I’m sorry, Yosuke,” she admitted.  “I always noticed the other kids and…I wish I had done more.”

Yosuke shook his head.  “You and Yukiko did more than anyone else,” he replied awkwardly.  “I mean, you would reach out to talk to me and try to have me hang out with you guys occasionally.  And instead of being grateful I usually would try to blow it off because I didn’t like feeling like a third wheel.”  He sighed, shoulders slumping at his confession.  “Once again I was kind of being an ass.  So…thanks for including me.  Even though I’m such a pain.”

Chie blushed slightly, surprised by his sincere apology.  She masked it, however, and replied with a laugh, “Oh ho ho, is the Prince of Junes finally figuring out how not to be a disappointment?”

Yosuke glared at her, complaining, “You know how much I hate that nickname.”

Chie grinned at him in reply.  “Maybe we can agree we were both kind of jerks and move past it.  It feels weird having you apologize to me,” she shrugged.

“Ok, that seems fair,” he agreed, and they were soon saved by their food arriving.  As they dug in, the door opened and two people that also looked to be students walked in.  Yosuke looked up and was surprised to see one of them was the student he and Yu had run into at the shrine.  Kanji was dressed in a purple hoodie with his leather jacket resting on his shoulders and black pants, while the kid standing next to him had on a dark blue peat coat with gold buttons, blue plaid pants, and was wearing a blue newsboy cap.  Although they were dressed like a boy, there was slender, feminine quality to them, and Yosuke had trouble determining their gender.

His thoughts were interrupted when Kanji noticed him.  “Oh, hey senpai,” he called, causing Yosuke to choke on his food.  He was surprised Kanji would be reaching out to him when he had kind of been rude to him last time.

Chie looked over at Yosuke in surprise, wondering how he knew such a rough looking kid.  Once Yosuke had finally swallowed his food, he took a deep breath before weakly replying, “Hey Kanji, how have you been?”  He decided that if Kanji was going to bypass how he treated him, the least he could do is be polite.

“Eh,” Kanji shrugged.  The student standing next to him was watching the exchange with a cool gaze.  Kanji noticed Yosuke look at his companion questioningly, and flushed before saying, “This is Shirogane Naoto.  Shirogane-san, this is Yosuke-senpai and…” he turned to look at Chie questioningly.

“Hey, I’m Chie,” she grinned.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Naoto replied.  Naoto’s voice was also hard to pinpoint, because it could either be boyish or just a bit lower pitch for a girl.  “I am transferring to Yasogami and Kanji-san has been kind enough to show me around.  I do detective work on the side.”

Yosuke and Chie’s eyes bugged out, for they had heard of the Detective Prince who was a child prodigy.  “It’s very nice to meet you,” Chie replied.  “What brings you to Inaba though?”

“I have a case I am working on in the area,” she replied.  “My grandfather insists when I travel for cases I still enroll in classes.  He says he does not want me to be too out of touch.”  She seemed a touch annoyed at the fact and also spoke very seriously and formally.  It was a sharp contrast to Kanji, and both Chie and Yosuke couldn’t help but find it bizarre.

“Good luck on your case,” Yosuke replied, and Naoto nodded before she and Kanji made their way to sit at a table.

“Kanji-kun, huh?” Chie said, leaning toward Yosuke and lowering her voice so the other two couldn’t hear.  “If I remember correctly, his mom owns the textile shop where Yukiko’s family gets their cloth for their yukata.  Yukiko’s always insisted he was a nice kid, even though all the rumors I hear about him are that he’s rough around the edges.”

Yosuke thought back to the shrine incident and shook his head.  “Actually, the one time Yu and I ran into him he seemed like a good kid.  He’s just loud.”

“Huh, so Yukiko was right,” Chie said thoughtfully.  “She can be a bit weird sometimes so I don’t always trust her judge of character…” she admitted.  They both returned their attention to their respective bowls and were soon finished eating.  Yosuke was one of the few people that could keep up with Chie, although she still always won in the end when it came to meat. 

“So where’s Yu-kun tonight?” Chie asked curiously as they rested their full stomachs and leaned back against the bar.  “I’m surprised he didn’t join us.”

“He’s hanging out with Daisuke and Kou,” Yosuke replied, unable to keep a hint of bitterness from his tone.  “Apparently they had plans in Okina today.”

Chie smiled inwardly, before turning around and resting her arms against the bar with her head in her hands.  “Are you jealous?” she asked with a wide grin, and Yosuke stammered in reply while blushing.

“No!” he finally denied.  “It’s just like with you and Yukiko.  It’s just kind of lonely without him around.”

“Well, why don’t you let him know that?” Chie asked.  “I’m sure he’d take time to hang out with you if you did.”

“That would be totally selfish of me,” Yosuke sighed.  “He deserves to hang out with his other friends too.  Besides, I don’t think we had a terrible time or anything, right?”  Yosuke looked a bit nervous as he asked, and Chie realized how unsure her friend was.

“Yeah, we did.  Still, if you’re not working tomorrow, I think you should ask Yu-kun to hang out,” Chie affirmed.  “I’ll be doing my training in the morning while Yukiko’s at work and then we’re going to Okina to see a movie.”

“That sounds fun,” Yosuke replied, while inwardly feeling nervous.  Chie had planted an idea into his head.  ‘My parents did ask me to invite my friends over,’ he thought, already worried about what could go wrong.  “Wait, what do you mean by training?” he asked.

Chie blushed slightly.  “I…like to practice my kung fu moves sometimes,” she replied shyly, and Yosuke started laughing.  Chie punched him in the arm and he immediately winced, before rubbing where she had punched.  She actually punched him pretty hard.

“I’m not sure if you really need anymore training,” Yosuke grumbled, and Chie grinned.  They both got up and paid for their food, before heading to the Shiroku Store for some topsicles.  After buying their topsicles, they then made their way through the shopping district, chatting about different school gossip and about a kung fu movie Chie really wanted to go see.

She then brought up something she had heard at school about the soulmate rumor.  “So, there’s something interesting I heard at school,” she commented as they made their way out of the shopping district and toward the Samegawa flood plains, an area on the outskirts of Inaba that had a river where people could fish along with a pavilion and a park for the kids.  Yosuke used to walk around here a lot listening to music when he felt lonely.

“What’s that?” Yosuke asked.

“There were actually two people who saw each other on the Midnight Channel,” she replied, and Yosuke immediately froze.

“Oh?” he asked, his voice cracking a bit.

“Yeah.  So they saw each other and started talking and apparently started dating last week.  They’re third years.  I heard people talking about it in class last week,” Chie confirmed.

Yosuke nervously played with the cord on his headphones, unsure of how to respond to that.  Chie glanced over at him, then smacked herself on the head.  “Yosuke, I wasn’t even thinking,” she groaned.  “Look, we don’t know what their situation is compared to you and Yu-kun.  Don’t think too hard on it.”

Yosuke scratched the back of his neck and nodded, trying to play it off with a smile.  “Yeah, it’s probably totally different,” he agreed, before pulling out his phone.  “Why don’t I text Yu about tomorrow?”

“Ooooh that’s a good idea!” Chie said excitedly.  They both sat at the pavilion and she leaned over excitedly as he typed in the message.  “I seriously don’t know how you expect all of us to decipher your text messages,” Chie said blandly, as she squinted as his message.  Yosuke used text speak mixed with his own laziness and it was pretty hard to follow sometimes.

Before Yosuke could retort, his phone suddenly buzzed and they both looked eagerly at the reply.  Yu was not only available tomorrow, but it was Dojima’s day off so he would be able to take care of Nanako.  “Score!” Yosuke said, and he and Chie did a high five.  “Also, Yu could obviously read my text so I don’t wanna hear it.”

Chie rolled her eyes, before grinning.  “Hopefully this will get you to stop moping,” she teased, and Yosuke groaned.

“I was not moping Miss Oh I Miss Yukiko,” he replied sarcastically. 

They both laughed, however, and Yosuke was surprised that he actually had a pretty nice time with Chie.  He would have never guessed at the beginning of the school year he’d have hung out with Satonaka Chie outside of school, alone, and that they would have actually gotten along.  Not long afterward, it was starting to get dark so they parted ways to head back home.  Yosuke had a bounce in his step again as he walked, for although he was still nervous about Yu coming to his house, he was also happy to be spending some time with him.


	7. The Hanamura's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu goes to visit Yosuke's house for the first time.

The next day found Yosuke pacing in the living room while he waited for Yu to arrive.  His mom was in the kitchen throwing together something for lunch and was pulling out the stops since she was delighted that Yosuke was finally bringing a friend over.  It was all she had talked about all morning, and it only caused Yosuke’s anxiety to increase.  His father, meanwhile, was in the living room with him, trying his best to catch up with the current NHK drama _Gō_ that he recorded throughout the week and binge watched on his days off.  He was off that day since he worked on Sunday to help with freight, and he was also interested in getting to know Yu more after meeting him at Junes.  At the moment, however, he was getting fed up with his son’s restlessness. 

“Yosuke, I’m trying to watch my show,” he griped.  He always watched NHK’s taiga drama each year and Yosuke kept blocking his view with his pacing.

Yosuke huffed and crossed his arms before throwing himself on the couch next to his father who rolled his eyes at his son’s theatrics; his son could be pretty dramatic when in the right mood.  “I don’t get what you find so appealing about this boring show,” Yosuke sighed, but he finally seemed to have calmed down slightly.

“It’s always interesting to see how they interpret history.  And they always get big named actors in the cast,” his father shrugged.  “Don’t you like learning about our past?”

“Not really, no,” Yosuke replied, before sitting up straight when the bell to their gate rang. 

“Is that him?” his mom asked excitedly from the kitchen.  Yosuke’s mom had a gentle face with features very similar to his; he obviously took after her appearance while picking up some mannerisms and habits from his dad.  She looked like she was about to head over to the panel to check and ring their guest in, but Yosuke quickly leapt up to beat her to it.

“I’ll get it, mom,” he said quickly, rushing to the panel and checking the camera to see that it was, indeed, Yu.  He was holding a fruit basket as a gift, and Yosuke sighed, remembering that when he had visited the Dojima’s he hadn’t brought anything along.  ‘Of course, Yu’s just perfect,’ he thought before using the mic to let Yu know he was unlocking the gate for him.

After buzzing the door to their gate, Yu walked up, dressed in a gray and white striped shirt, teal jacket, and black pants.  Yosuke met him at the door and gingerly took the fruit basket from him.  “You’re just trying to get on my mom’s good side, aren’t you,” he commented before leading him inside.  Yu grinned at his remark, but he didn’t comment to Yosuke’s annoyance. Yosuke had on a red shirt with thin white stripes and teal cargo pants, and he brought the basket to the kitchen while Yu took off his shoes at the door. 

“You also watch _Gō_?” Yu asked as he took his jacket off, hanging it on the coat rack next to the door.  Yosuke’s father immediately turned around to face him from the living room, while Yosuke let out a loud sigh.

“Are you saying you watch it?” his father asked with a slight twinkle in his eye.

“Yes, I usually watch right before bed every night,” Yu replied.  “I see you are in the process of catching up.”

“Your friend has good taste,” Yosuke’s dad declared, and Yosuke shook his head.

“You mean weird taste,” he muttered.

“And he’s such a gentleman, thank you for the lovely fruit,” his mother added, ignoring her son and coming out of the kitchen to greet Yu with a hug.  “Yosuke has said very nice things about you and we are so glad you finally came to visit.”  Yu looked surprised by her friendly greeting, but he accepted it warmly.

“Thank you for welcoming me into your home,” he said politely with a slight bow, and Yosuke’s mom look positively delighted.

“You could teach our Yosuke some of your manners,” she smiled, while Yosuke shook his head at Yu from behind her.  Yu grinned in reply, before heading over to the living room to watch a bit of the show while they waited for Yosuke’s mom to wrap up with lunch. 

He was surprised that the living room contained two large bookshelves that were stuffed with different albums and records, and he couldn’t help but gaze at them as he sat down in the armchair to the left of Yosuke’s father.  Yosuke, meanwhile, rejoined his dad on the couch, feeling slightly less nervous since his parents seemed to like Yu so far.  “Is all this music Yosuke’s?” Yu asked cautiously, for he had picked up his friend’s love of music at school; he constantly had his headphones on him and they had many conversations during lunch about what he was currently listening to.  Yu was pretty ignorant when it came to music since his parents had no interest in it, and thus tried to absorb everything Yosuke told him.

“No, he keeps that in his room,” Yosuke’s father replied.  “Those are mine.”

“Yes, Yosuke gets his love of music from his father,” his mother called from the kitchen.  “I think it’s wonderful that they both share such a passion – they’ll just start playing music in the living room and start prattling on about the artist together.”

Yosuke blushed at his mother’s words, and Yu noticed that his father also looked slightly embarrassed.  “I think that’s really cool,” Yu admitted.  “I don’t really have anything like that I share with my father.”

Yosuke was surprised at his casual mention of his father, since he didn’t talk about his parents a lot.  Usually when they were discussing families, he would talk about Nanako and his uncle instead.  “That’s a shame,” Yosuke’s father commented.  “But, if you ever want to talk about _Gō_ , feel free to visit.  Yosuke refuses to watch it so it’ll be nice to have someone to discuss it with.”

“Daaaaad,” Yosuke groaned, but was cut off by Yu’s short laugh.

“I would enjoy that,” he said, a soft smile on his face that surprised Yosuke. 

‘He seems pretty comfortable here,’ Yosuke realized, an all too familiar warm feeling settling in his chest that seemed to happen when Yu was around.  He found he liked how well his friend fit in with his parents, even if they both seemed hell bent on embarrassing him.  They then settled in and began watching the episode, while Yosuke got up to go see if his mom needed help in the kitchen; he wasn’t kidding when he said he found taiga dramas boring.

His mom had miso soup simmering on the stove and was checking on the rice in the rice cooker to make sure it was ready.  She had already chopped up and seasoned some vegetables as a side dish and had some teriyaki chicken sitting in a dish ready to be pan fried.  “Need any help?” Yosuke asked.

“I am almost done, but you can help me plate the food,” his mom suggested.  Yosuke nodded and grabbed some plates and soup bowls while his mom quickly cooked up the chicken; she had cut them into small cubes so they would cook quickly and soon everything was ready to go.

“Lunch is ready!” she called, and Yosuke helped her bring the food to the table and set it for all of them.

“Itadakimasu,” everyone said, hands clasped together, before they started eating their meal.

“This is very good, Hanamura-san,” Yu commented.  “Thank you for lunch.”

Yosuke’s mother looked pleased at his compliment, and Yosuke rolled his eyes but couldn’t help but smile to himself.  He had never invited a friend over before, not even back in Tokyo, so this was her first time really getting to hostess since they moved.  His parents didn’t have a lot of friends in Inaba since a lot of the locals hadn’t been kind to them.  He suddenly wondered if maybe Yu’s uncle might get along with them, remembering how they used to play cards with their friends back in the city.

“Everything alright Yosuke?” his mom asked gently, noticing the change in her son’s mood, and Yosuke flushed when he noticed Yu’s curious gaze.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he squeaked out, quickly taking a sip of the soup to hide his embarrassment.  “Yu’s right thought, you really outdid yourself for lunch.  Too bad you never cook like this for school…”

“I told you, Yosuke, you need to learn to cook for yourself,” she said with a sigh.  “However, don’t think I haven’t noticed you haven’t been buying lunch from the convenience store lately.  Tell me, which one of your friends have been making lunch for you?”

Yosuke choked on the daikon he had just popped in his mouth while Yu chuckled at him.  “I have been, Hanamura-san,” he admitted.

“You can cook?” she asked curiously.  “Do you think you can teach Yosuke?  Maybe if it’s a friend he’ll actually try to learn.”

Yu shot Yosuke a grin before saying, “I can certainly try,” while Yosuke narrowed his eyes at him.  ‘That traitor,’ he thought.  Yosuke’s father then brought Yu back into a conversation about the drama they were watching, and the rest of lunch consisted of them chatting amicably, while Yosuke and his mother discussed an idol drama he watched with her.

Once lunch was wrapped up, Yosuke helped bring the dishes to the sink for his mother, who then shooed him and Yu off, saying they should go enjoy some time alone without his parents interfering.  Yosuke looked relieved before bringing Yu upstairs to his room.  Yosuke’s room was much messier than Yu’s was, but also felt a lot homier with posters of the different music groups and idols he liked covering the walls and another bookshelf full of music and manga crammed next to his bed.  Yosuke looked like he had made a half-hearted attempt to clean up the night before, which mainly consisted of shoving things under the bed and in his closet.

“I don’t really have a place for us to sit other than on the bed, but if you want we can play a video game or something,” Yosuke suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Yu said, obviously looking around the room and taking it all in.

“Sorry that it’s kind of messy,” Yosuke apologized, looking a bit embarrassed as he went through his game collection that he had stacked on the bottom shelf of his TV stand. 

“It’s…nice,” Yu said, sincerity in his tone.  Yu was thinking back to his room at the Dojima’s which was pretty bare and his house back in Tokyo which was also empty since his parents were hardly ever home.  The Hanamura house felt like what he pictured a home should be; there were clear indications of their hobbies and interests and there were pictures of Yosuke everywhere with his parents.  He could tell that they really cared about their son, and he found it heartwarming.  Yu had never had friends to visit growing up, and he found this house even more comforting than his uncle’s which now felt more like home than his own house did.

Yosuke had picked out a game and was watching him silently, noticing the contemplative expression on his friend’s face.  He wanted to ask about it, but he felt it would be rude to pry.  So, instead, he asked if Yu liked fighting games, and waved Super Smash Bros. Brawl in his face.  “You’re on,” Yu replied confidently, taking the controller Yosuke handed him before they both ended up sprawled on the bed.  They were both pretty evenly matched, to Yosuke’s surprise, since he hadn’t been sure if Yu played a lot of games or not.  Yosuke enjoyed the challenge, however, and was glad he finally had someone to play games with since it had been awhile.

Their gaming session was interrupted a few hours in by Yosuke’s mother, who came up to bring them a snack of some fruit, cookies, and tea.  “Are you boys having fun?” she asked, setting the food on a TV tray she had brought up for them.  She wrinkled her nose, looking around Yosuke’s room.  “Yosuke, I told you to clean up for your guest,” she scolded.

“I did clean up,” Yosuke said, pointing at his floor which they could actually see for a change.

His mom rolled her eyes, while Yu thanked her for the snack.  She beamed at him before her eyes roamed around the room, stopping suddenly when she spotted something on Yosuke’s bookshelf.  While Yu and Yosuke had settled next to the TV tray and were helping themselves to the snacks, Yosuke’s mother grabbed one of his old yearbooks off the shelf and flipped through it until she found his middle school yearbook picture.  “Wasn’t my Yosuke so adorable?” he asked, showing it to Yu while Yosuke looked on in horror.

“Mom, no,” he groaned, hanging his head, completely mortified.  In middle school he hadn’t started dying his hair yet and he had a bowl cut.  “I looked totally uncool back then,” he complained.

“You looked adorable.  I miss your natural hair,” his mom sighed.  “Doesn’t he just look darling?”

Yu’s eyes twinkled as he looked up at Yosuke.  “Very cute,” he agreed, and Yosuke threw one of his pillows at him.

“Ass,” he muttered under his breath.

“Language, Yosuke,” his mom threatened, before taking the yearbook again and smiling fondly at it.  “They grow up so fast,” she sighed before standing back up and placing it back on the shelf.  “I’ll leave you two alone now.  Will you be staying for dinner?” she asked.

“I have to go back and cook for my cousin and uncle, or I would definitely stay,” Yu replied, and she nodded her head.

“Next time please do so I can treat you to something nice,” she said, before waving and heading back downstairs.

“Why are parents so embarrassing,” Yosuke sighed deeply once she left.

“I think your parents are really nice,” Yu replied.  “I can tell how much they care about you.”

Yosuke blushed at the comment, not knowing how to respond.  “What are yours like?” he finally asked.  “Are they scary like Dojima-san?”

Yu laughed lightly.  “My uncle isn’t as scary as he seems on the surface,” he replied.  He paused for a moment, trying to come up with a good way to answer Yosuke’s question.  “They’re very hardworking,” he finally replied.  “They work long hours and travel a lot for work.  Even when I lived with them, they were hardly ever home.”

Yosuke immediately felt sympathy for his friend, for he sounded lonely.  Now, he began to understand that expression he had seen on his friend’s face earlier.  ‘He looked wistful,’ he realized, like he wanted a household just like Yosuke’s.  “Hey,” Yosuke said, and Yu turned to face him.  “You’re free to come and visit us anytime,” Yosuke said.  “My parents already adore you so they’d be totally ok with it.”  Yosuke gave him an encouraging smile, and Yu smiled lightly in return.

“I appreciate that,” he admitted.  They wound up heading back down to the living room after that, and Yosuke quickly rinsed their dishes before they joined his father in the living room where he had one of his records playing.  Yosuke’s dad began explaining the history of the artist which was one of his favorites from the 70s, while Yu listened attentively.  Yosuke surprised him by throwing in his own tidbits and trivia, and Yu was reminded by his mom’s comment earlier about how endearing their shared love of music was.

“It’s too bad you can’t remember facts from class like you do for music,” Yu commented, and Yosuke frowned at him.

“Why did you have to bring that up?” he asked, punching Yu on the shoulder as his dad immediately agreed.

“Yes, Yosuke, if only you were more serious about your studies,” he lightly admonished.  “What about you, Yu?”

“He’s the top of the class,” Yosuke grumbled, and his father immediately lit up.

“Do you think you can help my son, then?” he asked.

“So, I take it, you’re supposed to help me with my manners, my cooking, and now my grades.  Anything else you can think of?” Yosuke asked sarcastically.

Yu laughed.  “Maybe we can add your balance to the list?” he teased, for Yosuke was notoriously clumsy.

“Now you’re just rubbing salt into the wound,” Yosuke rolled his eyes.

As he and Yu bickered good naturedly, neither of them noticed the warm expression that had crossed Yosuke’s father’s face.  He had never seen his son get along so well with any of his friends in the past, and he finally felt better about moving to Inaba.  It had been hard on the family, and he sometimes wondered if he had made the right decision.  But seeing Yosuke get along so well with this new friend of his made him feel more reassured.  Soon afterward, Yu had to head out so he could buy some groceries for dinner, and all three of the Hamanura’s seemed a bit sad to see him go.

“Make sure you come back to see us soon,” Yosuke’s mom said, helping him into his jacket as he got ready to go.

“Yes, I’ll need to hear your thoughts about the arc that should be coming up soon in the show,” Yosuke’s father agreed.

Yosuke rolled his eyes.  “Text you later?” he asked, and Yu nodded before waving and heading out.

“What a nice young man,” Yosuke’s mom sighed after he had left.  “I’m glad you have such a nice friend like him,” she smiled, ruffling her son’s hair while he irritatingly swatted it away.

“Sorry your parents are so embarrassing,” his father laughed, and Yosuke sighed.

“You’re not embarrassing,” he replied.  “All the time at least.”  He felt much better about Yu coming to visit, and he was glad that he got to learn a little more about the quiet guy and that he fit in so well with his parents.  Now the only thing he had to stress about was the foreign exchange student that would be arriving shortly after Golden Week ended.  Yosuke shook his head, clearing himself of those thoughts before he got too negative, and headed back upstairs to relax for the rest of the evening.


	8. Exchange Student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The exchange student finally arrives and makes Yosuke's life hell~

On the last day of Golden Week, after Yosuke got off work and Yu got back from tutoring, they met up at the Samegawa flood plains so Nanako could play at the park.  She got along well with other kids and patiently helped the younger ones go down the slide or taught them how to play on the swings, while Yosuke and Yu hung out at the pavilion and watched.  “So, how old were you when you got into music?” Yu asked Yosuke curiously.  It had been on his mind ever since visiting his house and seeing that Yosuke’s dad shared the same interest.

“As far back as I can remember,” Yosuke shrugged.  A soft smile suddenly crossed his face as he thought back to his childhood.  “I can clearly remember dad playing music on an old cassette player and dancing in the kitchen to it as a kid.  Or how whenever we would go on our summer trip we would play the same albums in the car and sing along,” Yosuke mused.  “That was before dad got too busy with work and could hardly take any days off.”  He frowned slightly at that, and Yu immediately related.

“That’s how it’s always been with my parents,” he replied.  “It’s nice though, that you and your family went on trips together.”

Yosuke looked like he wanted to say something, but he held back.  “Yeah, we’ve always been close,” he agreed, fiddling with the cord to his headphones.  Yu noticed but had a feeling he knew what Yosuke wanted to ask about and so refrained from bringing it up.  Instead, he asked Yosuke about his preferences in music, and Yosuke stepped closer and turned up the volume on his music so Yu could hear it from the headphones around his neck.  He then began sharing some of the different songs and artists he likes.  They remained that way until it starts to get dark, standing close together and losing track of time as they become lost in their own little world.

It wasn’t until Nanako interrupted them that they realized how late it was.  “Big Bro, it’s getting dark outside,” she said, tugging lightly at Yu’s jacket in order to get his attention.

“Ah, sorry Nanako-chan!  We didn’t mean to keep you out this late,” Yosuke said, turning down his music and kneeling slightly so he could be closer to eye level as he spoke to her.

“It’s alright,” Nanako beamed.  “I had fun today!”

Yosuke smiled back, while Yu covered his mouth with his hand so they couldn’t see his fond grin.  “See you at school then,” Yu said as he took Nanako’s hand for the walk back.

“Ah, yeah.  See you,” Yosuke waved as they walked off.  He wound up staying at the pavilion for a bit longer, staring out at the dark embankment as he listened to a few of his songs.  The exchange student would be arriving tomorrow, so he would have a day to settle in before class started back after the holiday, and Yosuke was nervous.  He had planned on talking to Yu about it in order to quiet some of his nerves, but when he had asked about music Yosuke had quickly gotten distracted.  ‘I hope everything goes well,’ he thought, placing his headphones back around his neck as he began his trek home.

Everything did not go well.  Yosuke spent his morning cleaning up his room as his parents headed out to the airport to pick up the exchange student.  They would be gone for a few hours since they had to go out to the city, so Yosuke had enough time to properly clean his room this time.  They had a small guest room for him to stay in, but Yosuke would have to share his room so the American – Teddie – could occasionally play video games or hang out since Yosuke was supposed to “make him feel at home.”  Yosuke had overheard his parents do a voice call with Teddie and his parents before his flight, and his Japanese was definitely hard to understand, which was made worse by the fact he was just loud in general.  Yosuke could already feel a headache coming, and he hadn’t officially met the kid yet.

A few hours later, Yosuke’s last moments of peace and quiet were shattered by the arrival of one hyperactive blond.  He could hear him all the way outside when his parents pulled up, chatting loudly and shouting exclamations over how cute the house was.  Yosuke winced before making his way downstairs, standing unsurely near the door.  His mom opened it slowly, giving Yosuke a tired smile as she slid off her shoes.  Before she could speak, however, Teddie bound into the house after her.  “You must be Yosuke!” he greeted excitedly, barely remembering to take off his shoes before leaping over to give Yosuke a hug.

Yosuke’s eyes widened as he suddenly had a blond haired, blue eyed boy practically tackle him in his hallway.  “It’s beary nice to meet you!” Teddie said, grinning widely. 

Yosuke looked a bit confused, and his mom explained, “Teddie is still learning Japanese so some of his wording is a little off.  He’s here to practice it more because he’s interested in studying it when he goes to college.”

Yosuke’s father then arrived carrying some of Teddie’s stuff.  “Yosuke, can you give me a hand?” he asked, and Yosuke gratefully nodded before prying Teddie off. 

“Nice to meet you,” he said politely, before stepping down into his shoes and heading outside to help carrying in his new housemate’s stuff.  Yosuke’s mom, meanwhile, began to show Teddie around the house and where he would be staying.

“Was he like that the whole drive?” Yosuke said quietly to his dad once they were both safely outside.

His dad nodded, looking a bit worn out.  “He’s a nice enough kid, but he’s definitely more…energetic than you are,” he replied.  “He seems very fascinated by everything and curious, so make sure you leave him with a good impression of Japan.”

Yosuke frowned slightly as he helped pull out one of Teddie’s suitcases, knowing that while it was annoying, his dad was probably right to worry about his attitude.  He could already feel that Teddie was going to irritate him.  Yosuke was an only child and never had to deal with other kids or having to share his stuff.  This would definitely be a lesson in patience.  Once they headed back inside and brought Teddie’s stuff to his room, Yosuke’s mom got started on dinner while his father retreated to the living room to watch his drama and try to take a break after the trip.  That left Yosuke to entertain Teddie.

Yosuke had to say at first, he was pretty impressed by his self-control.  He brought Teddie up to his room, asking him about where he came from and letting the new kid babble on as he set up Mario Kart for them to play in his room.  He patiently answered some of Teddie’s questions about school and how the schedule was set up differently here than what he was used to, and when Teddie asked if he had to call him sempai since he was a grade above, Yosuke said he should at school and explained the honorific system with him.  He was pretty proud of himself for acting responsible and thought that maybe he would be able to make it out the first night without any problems.

Then, they started to play the game.  And Yosuke quickly found out that Teddie was terrible at Mario Kart and very vocal as he played.  Every time he would run over a banana or get hit with a shell he would wail into Yosuke’s shoulder, and he spent half of his time trying to decide which of the female characters he wanted to play as because they were “total babes.”  Then, the one time Yosuke tried Rainbow Road, Teddie fell off the map so many times that Yosuke had to quit the level or risk losing his hearing due to Teddie’s whining.  Luckily, after dinner Teddie was pretty tired and headed to bed early, so Yosuke could finally have time to himself and start messaging Yu his complaints about the exchange student.

‘thnk ‘m gonna hv a prmnt hedche,’ Yosuke lazily messaged Yu.

'Surely it couldn’t have been that bad?’ Yu immediately messaged back.

‘U hv no idea,’ Yosuke replied, feeling himself relax as he continued to message with his friend.  Yu just had this way about him that always made everything seem easier.

The next day, Yosuke and his parents showed Teddie around Inaba, and his parents set some rules with the blond to ensure he’d be safe and wouldn’t get lost.  His parents were entrusting their child into their care, and they took the responsibility very seriously.  This meant that Yosuke at least didn’t have to deal with Teddie all on his own, which made things slightly more bearable.

Things would become even worse once he returned to school.  Yosuke walked Teddie to Yasogami, trying his best to pay attention to the excitable guy’s mindless chatter, made even more difficult by the strange way he talked.  He was relieved to run into Yu, Chie, and Yukiko along the way, feeling like with them he’d finally have allies.  That was until Teddie opened his big mouth and tried to hit on his two friends.  “Helloooo ladies,” he said, winking at them, and Yosuke immediately flushed in embarrassment and covered his face with one hand.  “Would either of you beauties like to walk to school with this stud?” he asked, making it even worse.

Yukiko looked like she wanted to laugh, while Chie was shooting Yosuke a glare.  “Did you put him up to this?” she hissed at him, and Yosuke shook his head.

“Hell no!  Ted, you can’t talk like that,” he said.

“Like what?” Teddie asked, looking confused.

“You can’t just hit on girls,” Yosuke groaned.  Yu looked bemused at the exchange while Chie calmed down and Yukiko looked like she was snickering into the notebook she was carrying.  Yosuke inwardly grimaced – this was so uncool.

“But why not?” Teddie asked, raising his voice like usual and drawing attention to them.  “They’re beary pretty so I thought…”  Before he could say more, Yosuke covered his mouth.

“Ted, just no,” he shook his head.  He then properly introduced Teddie to Yu, Yukiko, and Chie, and Teddie finally seemed to move on from his attempts to woo his upperclassman.  Yosuke just hoped that he refrained from any more embarrassing behavior.

Yosuke’s lunch was also interrupted by the blond who had come to find him in the classroom once lunch had started.  He had asked if he could eat lunch with Yosuke until he made friends, and the boy had begrudgingly agreed.  He couldn’t be cold to Teddie, even if he found him annoying; the kid was all alone in a foreign land, after all, and Yosuke knew what it was like to be the new kid.  Thus, his normally relaxing time on the roof with Yu was now disrupted as they remained in the classroom with Chie and Yukiko so Teddie could join them.  Somewhere over the course of the conversation, Teddie had taken a liking to Yu and began calling him sensei, basically ignoring Yosuke when he tried to explain the honorific system again to no avail.  He also called Chie and Yukiko sempai, but continued to call Yosuke by name, seeming to forget how Yosuke had told him to call him sempai at school.  Yosuke let out a sigh and gave up, leaning back in his chair and sulking as Teddie talked to Yu.

Yosuke’s mom had also made Teddie a lunch, saying that it wasn’t up to her to ensure he knew how to cook, while Yosuke had to buy his lunch today since Yu had been running late that morning and only brought in leftovers for himself.  ‘Everything sucks,’ Yosuke grimaced, until he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

He turned to face Chie, who was giving him a sympathetic gaze.  “Sorry Teddie’s monopolizing Yu today,” she whispered, and Yosuke sighed.

“It’s fine.  I mean, he doesn’t know anyone else at school yet.  I’m sure he’ll make friends in his own grade…” he replied, trying to put on a cheerful façade.  “Oh, and I’m so sorry about this morning.  I had no idea he’d do something like that.  I mean, he kind of butters up my mom, but I thought maybe he was a momma’s boy or something…”

“It’s alright, not your fault,” Chie shrugged.  “I did think maybe you were trying to play a trick on us with the exchange student who doesn’t know better…but I’m starting to realize it’s definitely all him.”

Teddie had already tried flirting with some of the other girls in their class, not at all seeming phased by the fact he was a grade below them.  A few seemed to like the attention, for he actually was a pretty attractive guy, but Yosuke had managed to drag him away each time.  It was actually safer having him talk to Yu, even if Yosuke felt a bit lonely.  Lunch was his time, dammit, since they didn’t always get to see each other after school.

Luckily, after school Yosuke had a break from entertaining Teddie since he had work.  His dad had scheduled him enough time to walk Teddie home to ensure he knew how to get there before he had to change and head into Junes.  Yosuke almost dreaded going home, for he had a feeling the blond would try to cling to him with no one else to hang out with.  Sure enough, once he arrived home and showered and changed, Teddie had arrived in his room so they could “work on homework together,” and immediately launched into a conversation about how “sensei was so cool.”

Yosuke grit his teeth as he pretended to study, so he wouldn’t have to input a lot into the conversation.  Inwardly, however, he felt his self-esteem plummet.  Here was a foreign exchange student, who basically at this point knew Yosuke better than anyone else, and he had already chosen Yu just like everyone else in this stupid town.  Yosuke had been trying his best to be nice and accommodating to the kid, but apparently that just wasn’t enough.  “Why do you call him sensei?” Yosuke finally snapped, shutting Teddie up.  “And why don’t you call me sempai at school like I asked?”

Teddie stared at Yosuke in shock from where he had been sitting on the floor with his homework.  Tears welled up in his eyes, and Yosuke inwardly panicked.  “Sensei’s just so smart and helpful that Teddie just has to call him sensei,” Teddie said, voice raising an octave.  Yosuke tensed, already feeling the wail coming.  He also had a feeling Teddie was calling himself by name because he was struggling to remember the correct way to refer to himself in Japanese.  “And Yosuke said it was ok to call him by name – Teddie thought it meant we were closer!” 

He did begin wailing after that, and Yosuke quickly shut his book and kneeled down to pat him on the shoulder and calm him down before his parents came upstairs to see what was wrong.  He could only imagine the talk he would get if they saw him causing the exchange student to cry three days in.

“Calm down, it’s ok,” Yosuke said.  “You can call me by name, it’s fine.”  Teddie calmed down after that, sniffling slightly.

“Do you think sensei doesn’t like me calling him that?” he asked miserably. 

Yosuke thought for a moment, before shaking his head.  “I don’t think Yu minds at all,” he replied honestly.  “I was just trying to make sure you knew how to properly use honorifics since I know you’re trying to get better at Japanese.”

Teddie beamed at him, before saying sincerely, “Thank you beary much Yosuke for looking out for me!”  He then happily went back to his homework before Yosuke let out a sigh and climbed back onto his bed.  This was going to be a long year. 


	9. Risette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally the last member of the Investigation Team arrives :)

A few days passed and while Teddie didn’t get any less annoying, Yosuke was at least starting to get used to dealing with him and settled into his new routine.  He just hoped the kid found some friends in his own grade soon so he could have his lunches with Yu back.  He was trying to figure out how to get Teddie to meet Kanji and Naoto because he had a feeling Kanji at least would tolerate him.  ‘Maybe Yu would be able to figure it out,’ Yosuke mused.

His thoughts were interrupted by Chie who finally arrived in the classroom.  She came by herself today since Yukiko apparently had to stay home to help at the Inn.  She made a beeline straight to him, and Yosuke immediately recognized the look in Chie’s eyes.  She had some gossip to share.  “Yosuke, did you hear that there’s an idol in town?” she asked excitedly, and Yosuke gave her a confused look.

“What do you mean, an idol?” he asked incredulously.  “What idol would come to a place like Inaba?”

“It’s that singer that’s been in all the commercials.  Risette or whatever,” Chie said.  “Apparently she’s retiring from showbiz and her grandma runs that tofu store in the shopping district!”  Yosuke flinched slightly at the mention of tofu, before realizing what Chie had said.

“Wait, you’re telling me Risette is in Inaba?” he asked in shock, a slight blush flooding his face.  “As in top of the Oricon charts for her last five singles Risette?”

Chie shrugged.  “I guess?  I’m not really into idols,” she said, while peering at Yosuke’s face.  A grin spread across her face.  “You like her don’t you,” she said excitedly, and Yosuke blushed harder.

“No!  I mean, what guy doesn’t think Risette’s hot?” he asked, just as Yu walked into the classroom.

“Who?” he asked curiously, putting his stuff down.

“Risette,” Yosuke replied.  “She’s pretty hot, right?”

Yu shook his head.  “I don’t know who that is,” he admitted.  “You know I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to music.”

“Dude she’s been in like a ton of commercials in the past year,” Yosuke said, and Yu merely shrugged and looked uninterested.  Yosuke frowned at him while Chie watched in amusement.

“Not everyone is as perverted as you, Yosuke,” she teased, and Yosuke let out a deep sigh.

“Look, just because I can occasionally appreciate an idol song doesn’t make me a pervert.  Besides, Risette’s music is actually good compared to a lot of other idols,” he defended.  Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their teacher, and they soon settled down for the start of class.

At lunch, the topic came up again as the students around them were also talking about the gossip.  Several mentioned having gone to the tofu shop to see her and how plain she looked working at the shop and in normal clothes.  Teddie had of course asked excitedly who Risette was, which caused Yosuke to explain the idol to him in detail, which pretty much let it slip he really was a fan of hers.  Chie, of course, then had to tease him more while Yu seemed more quiet than usual at lunch.  Once Teddie realized Risette was a celebrity and was supposed to be “a total babe” as he put it, he begged Yosuke to go to the shopping district after school to see her.

“I guess we can go,” Yosuke replied.  If he was being honest, he was more than a bit curious about seeing her. 

“You don’t even like tofu,” Yu pointed out with a frown, and Yosuke blushed.

“Well, you can come with me then!  I’m sure Nanako wouldn’t mind you bringing some homemade tofu home for dinner today, right?”  Yosuke winked and grinned at Yu hopefully, who sighed.

“Yes, please come with us, sensei!” Teddie agreed.

“Fine,” Yu replied, not looking too enthusiastic about the idea.  Yosuke tilted his head slightly, wondering what was on his friend’s mind, but the lunch bell rang which stopped him from saying anything.  Teddie then bounded out of the classroom to head downstairs to the first year floor while Yosuke sighed.

“He’s gotta find himself a friend,” he groaned.  “You think Kanji might take him under his wing?”  He looked over at Yu hopefully.

Now that they had changed topics, Yu looked a bit more like his normal self, and contemplated it for a moment.  “It can’t hurt to introduce them,” he decided.  “I’ll invite him to join us after school.”  Yosuke knew that Yu occasionally hung out with Kanji, so it wouldn’t seem awkward for him to ask.

“Sweet!” Yosuke said with a large grin, and Yu stared at him for a moment before blinking and turning away.  Yosuke then turned around to face the front as the second bell rang to signify the start of class.  After school, Kanji and Teddie met them at the front of the school, and to Yosuke’s relief Teddie was already chatting up the taller boy who didn’t seem to mind his enthusiasm.

“Thanks for inviting me, sempai,” Kanji said as they arrived.  “Ma likes Marukyu so she’ll appreciate me picking some up for her.”

“I can’t wait to see the looovely lady!” Teddie said enthusiastically and Kanji gave him an odd look while Yosuke just sighed.  No matter what he told Teddie, the boy continued to be flirtatious. 

“Apparently Risette has retired and works there now,” Yosuke explained to Kanji as they headed into town.  “She’s going to start at our school once she’s settled in.  She’s supposed to be in your grade, actually.”

“Oh yeah, Rise, right?” Kanji asked.  “I remember her visiting her grandma during the summer before she became an idol.”

“You mean you’ve met Risette?” Yosuke asked in surprise, looking excited, and he almost missed the light sigh that came from his left where Yu was walking.  He was in the process of turning to see what was wrong with his friend when Kanji caught his attention again with his reply.

“Yeah I mean we didn’t really hang out, but I saw her a couple of times when we were kids,” he said.  He began to describe how on the playground all the boys wanted to play with her all of the time while Yosuke and Teddie listened attentively and asked questions.  Yu, meanwhile, remained quiet with a slight frown on his face the whole time.  They eventually arrived at Marukyu and were surprised by the crowd of people standing outside, glancing into the store and whispering to each other.  Yosuke frowned, for he found it incredibly rude that people would be gawking like that without even buying anything.

“Excuse me,” he said loudly, pushing his way through so he could get to the door.  Teddie and Kanji followed behind him, people stepping back especially once they saw Kanji, while Yu brought up the rear.  At the front of the counter was Rise’s grandmother who ran the shop, while a quiet girl with long brown hair tied back with a headscarf worked a bit further back so it would be harder to see her from the window.  It hurt Yosuke’s heart seeing the usually energetic idol look so subdued, and he suddenly felt sorry for her and regretted coming and bothering her.

Yu noticed the obviously unsettled look on his face, and his expression softened slightly before he stepped forward to order.  He picked out a few types of tofu that he could use throughout the week before tacking on a ganmodeki which surprised Yosuke, especially when he had it packaged separately and handed it to him while Kanji placed his order.  “What’s this for?” Yosuke asked.

“I remember you saying the only tofu you liked was ganmodeki,” Yu replied with a smile.  “So, I thought you might like to try theirs.”

Yosuke took the package quietly with a slight blush as he said, “Thanks dude.”

After Kanji also received his order, Rise’s grandmother sighed.  “You know, we had an influx of buyers for a few days which was nice, but now all they do is stare in the window.  I do wish they’d leave my poor granddaughter alone…”  In the kitchen area Rise flinched, but she didn’t look up. 

Yosuke frowned again before asking, “Have you talked to the police about getting them to clear out?”

“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” she said.  “I’m sure they’ll stop bothering us in a few days.  At least here she doesn’t have to deal with the reporters.  Thank you kind boys for buying something today.”  She then bowed slightly and they all quickly bowed back, Yosuke having to jab Teddie in the side so he would as well.  He was just thankful the blond hadn’t opened his mouth or said anything in the store.

Once they left, shooting glares at the crowd who finally had the decency to look a little apologetic before a few of them dispersed, they walked down to the Shiroku store to get some topsicles.  Teddie, Yosuke had quickly figured out, loved them, and he was begging Yosuke’s dad to let him take on a part time job at Junes to fund his craving for them.  His dad wanted to ensure that Teddie would be able to handle his class load first, especially since it was in a foreign language, before agreeing to anything.  Yosuke almost hoped that his dad said no since at this point Junes was his only true sanctuary from the exchange student.  As Teddie picked out his favorite flavor, he said, “Risette looked beary sad, didn’t she?” and had a dejected look on his face.

Yosuke smiled slightly, glad that Teddie had been aware enough to notice.  That’s probably why he hadn’t said anything then.  “Yeah, Ted, she did.  So, you be nice to her when she joins your grade, ok?  She could probably use a friend.”

“Don’t worry, Yosuke-sempai.  Teddie-kun and I will be sure to look out for her,” Kanji grinned.

“Yeah!” Teddie agreed, looking more cheerful at the idea.

Yosuke grinned back, before turning to meet Yu’s eyes to see how he was taking the whole situation.  The other boy had been acting weird all afternoon, and even now he immediately averted his gaze once he noticed Yosuke looking.  Yosuke paid for everyone’s topsicles since Kanji and Yu had both gotten tofu, and while Kanji and Teddie walked ahead toward the textile shop that Kanji’s mother ran, Yosuke strayed back next to Yu.  “Everything alright, dude?” Yosuke asked.

Yu took a bite of his topisicle before looking at Yosuke curiously.  “What do you mean?” he asked, face carefully neutral. 

“I mean you’ve been acting weird all day.  Does it bother you that I’m a fan of Risette’s?” Yosuke asked.  “I didn’t know you disliked idols so much…”  He looked kind of hurt, and Yu sucked in his breath.

“It’s not that, Yosuke,” Yu assured him.  “I guess it just kind of hurt seeing you get all excited over her.”

“Wait, were you jealous?” Yosuke asked, a wide grin on his face.  He then lightly punched Yu on the arm.  “Don’t worry dude, Risette’s not going to steal me away.  You’re totally my best friend!  I mean… if that’s ok with you.”

Yosuke looked away shyly, suddenly anxious about what had just slipped out of his mouth.  ‘I probably sound needy calling him my best friend like that,’ he thought, until Yu interrupted his thoughts by returning the arm punch.

Yosuke turned to look at him, feeling his heart skip a beat at the warm smile on Yu’s face.  “It’s more than ok,” Yu replied.  “Best friends sounds perfect.”

“Good,” Yosuke returned the smile.  “Besides, there’s no way a guy like me would be Risette’s type.  She’d probably go for a guy like you – all cool and mysterious and the top grades in school.”

“Mysterious?” Yu snickered at him, before looking more serious.  “Any girl would be lucky to date you, Yosuke.  Don’t sell yourself short.”

Yosuke merely shrugged, knowing that Yu was just trying to be nice.  He knew that at least in Inaba, he didn’t stand a chance with his family’s reputation.  Yu frowned again when Yosuke wasn’t looking, already having an idea where the brunette’s thoughts had fallen, but he didn’t know how to articulate his thoughts in a way he knew the other man would accept.  For now, he just changed subjects to the game they were both currently playing, and Yosuke immediately perked up as they began talking.  After dropping Kanji off at his house, Yu walked with Teddie and Yosuke until they eventually had to part ways to go to their separate homes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I had a bunch of asks I've been working on along with two different weeks I'm writing for in the FFXV fandom so this story got pushed back a bit. Hopefully you enjoy ^^


	10. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke starts to get irritated as Yu's attention keeps getting taken up by other people. Especially Rise.

Once Rise started at school, Kanji and Teddie made good on their promise to befriend the girl.  Rise remembered Kanji from childhood, and she trusted that unlike a lot of the other guys at school he didn’t have ulterior motives.  She wasn’t so sure about Teddie but was willing to tolerate him so she could try to make friends.  She was curious about Naoto as well, especially the dynamic the quiet student had formed with Kanji.  It was why at lunch that day she decided to tag along with Teddie to the second year classroom for lunch, giving Kanji and Naoto some privacy in return.

At first, Rise was rather quiet as she ate with them, obviously bothered by the stares of several of their classmates.  Teddie chattered on like usual, oblivious to the tension, but Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, and Yu could all feel it, and it was making their conversation rather awkward and stilted.  It was close to the end of lunch when Yu calmly suggested that they move up to the roof tomorrow to give Rise some peace during lunch, which caused the girl to stare at him with a surprised blush.  “Um, you don’t have to do that, sempai,” she said shyly.

Yu coolly replied, “It’s not a problem.  Yosuke and I are used to eating lunch on the roof, right?”  He turned to look at Yosuke whose eyes widened in surprise at being put on the spotlight.

“Oh, yeah, we totally were.  So, it’s no big deal,” he agreed.  “Anything to get away from these rude stares, right?”  He smiled at Rise, but he could tell by her fixated gaze on Yu that she was falling for him already.  Yosuke had been so totally right about her type.  He sighed before glancing at his friend and resting his head on his hand grumpily. 

The roof had been their place, and the whole point of Teddie befriending Kanji was for him to eat lunch with the first years so Yosuke could spend time with his friend again.  Now, everything was backfiring on him.  He couldn’t be too upset since Rise had been going through a rough time since returning to Inaba; Yosuke knew what it felt like for everyone to know who you were while staring and gossiping, even though in his case it was for a more negative reason.  But it was still kind of unfair.

The next day at lunch, things got even worse.  Rise immediately took a seat next to Yu upon the group reaching the rooftop, with Teddie sitting on his other side and leaving Yosuke next to Chie and Yukiko.  The two girls immediately started their own conversation with each other, which was a common occurrence since they were friends for so long, while Rise struck up a conversation with Yu, immediately showing interest in the fact he could cook.  Teddie also tried to join the conversation, for he also enjoyed Yu’s attention, which left Yosuke to eat the bento Yu had made for him quietly while feeling left out.  He was suddenly struck by how much things had changed since Yu had come into town, because in those days he had often eaten lunch alone or while feeling like a third wheel to Yukiko and Chie, and now he wasn’t used to it anymore.  He looked wistfully over at Yu, who was focused on listening to Rise talk, before frowning.  Yosuke pulled on his headphones before turning away from everyone and staring down at the courtyard while listening to music as he ate.

In the following days, things continued to spiral.  Rise would often stop by the classroom before and after class to try to flirt with Yu, who while appearing indifferent to the flirtation, was still kind enough to listen and talk to her.  He was always ready to give people his attention, which was one of the things Yosuke admired about him, even if it was driving him crazy now.  Yosuke began feeling irritated all the time as he started getting Yu’s attention less and less, and he found himself sometimes lashing out at his other friends, especially Teddie.  At home Teddie kept interrupting his free time that he would usually use to listen to music, read a comic, or play a video game in order to decompress, and it was causing him to snap at the other boy more often.  Yosuke could tell it was hurting his feelings and he felt shitty about it, but he was finding it difficult to hold his temper in check lately and didn’t know what he could do to fix it.

Finally, Chie pulled him aside during lunch one day, telling Yu, Rise, and Teddie that she and Yukiko would be eating with Yosuke in the classroom.  Yu looked surprised and almost opened his mouth to say something, until Yosuke with slight relief agreed.  “Yeah, you guys head on up and enjoy your lunch,” he said, shooting Yu a grin that immediately shut him up.  Yu gave him a confused look as Rise suddenly linked her arm through his and led him upstairs, Teddie trailing after them. 

Yosuke let out a breath, feeling relieved, before turning to Chie and Yukiko who were both giving him concerned stares.  Yosuke was immediately taken aback and gave them a confused look.  “So, what’s got you all grumpy lately?” Chie asked as they all sat down.  Chie and Yosuke both had vending machine lunches while Yukiko had brought some leftovers from home.

“And quiet.  I’m not used to you not talking all the time,” Yukiko added, and Yosuke winced.  Yukiko was certainly blunt when she wanted to be.

“I dunno,” Yosuke sighed.  “I guess…I’m just being selfish.”  Chie and Yukiko exchanged glances. 

“How’s that any different than usual?” Chie teased, and Yosuke frowned at her.  “I’m just kidding Yosuke.  I’m trying to lighten the mood.  So, how are you being selfish?”

“I just…I wanted to hang out with Yu, you know?  And now he’s hanging out with Ted and Rise-chan all the time.  And it’s pretty obvious she has a crush on him?  I knew that was going to happen,” Yosuke sighed.  “We had this conversation the other day about it.  He acted all weird about the Risette thing and I pointed out he was being jealous and that she wasn’t going to steal me away and wouldn’t be interested in someone like me, you know?” 

Yosuke looked at both of them, a dejected look on his face.  “Then I say, besides, you’re probably more her type, and I apparently wasn’t wrong, was I?”  Yosuke leaned back with his arms crossed, staring up at the classroom ceiling.  “So, now he’s spending all this time with her, and I’m just over here getting ignored like an idiot.”

“It sounds to me like you’re the one who’s jealous now,” Yukiko said thoughtfully.

“What, of Yu because Risette likes him or something?” Yosuke asked.

“Or maybe you’re jealous of Rise-chan.  Have you thought of that?” Chie asked, and Yosuke immediately shook his head furiously, a blush on his face.

“Why the heck would I be jealous of Rise-chan?” he asked defensively, and Chie and Yukiko sighed.

“I dunno Yosuke.  Maybe it’s something to think about,” Chie replied.

“And I do suggest you really take the time to think through it,” Yukiko added.  “Because you’re making yourself miserable right now, along with your friends.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Yu-kun’s really all that happy right now either,” Chie agreed.  Yosuke wasn’t really listening at this point, because he was too caught up on what they had said prior while trying to deny what they were saying was true.  He was definitely jealous of Yu getting Rise-chan’s attention.  That had to be it.

When Yu returned from the roof right before lunch ended, he surprised Yosuke by stopping at his desk and setting his hand down on it to get his attention.  Yosuke, who had put on headphones after his interrogation by Chie and Yukiko, looked up at him in surprise.  “Hey, what’s up?” he asked, sliding them around his neck.

“Is everything alright?” Yu asked.  “You’ve seemed upset lately.”  He was looking Yosuke in the eyes as he spoke, which made the brunet uncomfortable.

“Yeah, why?” he lied, leaning back in his chair.  “How’s getting to know Rise-chan been going?”  He felt a pang in his chest at the short tone to his voice as he said it, inwardly wincing at how his jealousy was showing.

Yu frowned slightly before saying, “I’m just trying to be nice to her, Yosuke.  If it’s bothering you then you should let me know.”

“I’m totally fine, dude,” Yosuke replied flippantly, and Yu frowned.  Before he could say anything more, however, the bell rang to signify lunch was over, and Yu shot Yosuke a look before taking his seat in front of him. 

Yosuke inwardly sighed in relief, for he didn’t want to have that conversation with Yu while he was in a bad mood.  He definitely needed to calm himself down first or risk saying something he didn’t mean and ruining his friendship with the gray haired boy.  Luckily, after school he had work, so he was able to immediately escape instead of having to face his friend’s questions.  It was also a nice little break from Teddie, which meant by the time he came home he was able to act more civil toward the blond exchange student, and he more patiently listened to him chatter about hanging out with Kanji and Naoto after school.

Once Teddie was done talking and wandered back to his room to start a videochat with his parents since it was now a decent time in the US, Yosuke immediately pulled out a manga and skimmed through it while trying to work out his feelings about Yu and Rise.  ‘Am I really jealous of Yu?’ he wondered, Chie’s words ‘Have you thought of that?’ floating in his head.  Yosuke grumbled and ruffled his hair in frustration, before closing his book and turning off his light, turning on his side.  Maybe he could sleep off these feelings of unease that were overwhelming him. 

His thoughts were soon interrupted, however, by the sound of the TV clicking on and static filling the room.  Yosuke then realized he could faintly hear the pattering of rain on his window and sat up before turning to face the television.  His heart stopped at what he saw, and his breath immediately caught in his throat. Yu was appearing on the screen again, and almost seemed to be staring at him intently.  However, that’s not what had Yosuke so wound up.  On his arm was a shadowy figure, and based on the outline, specifically the style of hair, Yosuke immediately knew who it was.  Rise.

Pain immediately flooded Yosuke’s chest, and he sat up straight as he stared at the screen, eyes locked with the Yu in the TV.  Yu gave him an almost sad looking smile before he turned away, the shadow of Rise on his arm as they both walked off screen together.  The television then flicked off and immediately became dark, leaving Yosuke with a sick feeling in his stomach.  ‘I thought this stupid channel was supposed to show your soulmate,’ Yosuke thought angrily.  ‘So why is my supposed soulmate walking off with someone else?’  The intensity of his anger shocked him, and Yosuke immediately bit his lip and clenched his hands in order to calm himself down.

“Ok, Yosuke, think,” he muttered to himself.  Chie and Yukiko had both encouraged him to really evaluate how he felt, and it seemed like the strange Midnight Channel wanted him to do the same.  Yosuke after a few moments finally could admit to himself what the root of the problem was.  He was afraid of losing his friendship with Yu, his place by his side.  The thought terrified him that Yu would go off with Rise or make new friends and leave Yosuke behind – _alone_ – again.  Yosuke immediately decided he couldn’t let that happen, and he knew that he’d have to talk to Yu and be honest with him this time.  Before what happened on the Midnight Channel became reality.


	11. Communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke finally has a discussion with Yu about how he's been feeling the past few days.

The next day after school, Yosuke is actually off work for a change.  When he got home, he found the house surprisingly empty.  His mom had gone to Okina for the afternoon to go shopping and get out of the house, while Yosuke’s father had finally caved and allowed Teddie to pick up a few shifts at Junes, passing out balloons to kids and acting as a greeter.  Today was his first day at work, and he had headed straight over after class.  That left Yosuke all by himself.

He had seen Rise drag Yu off after class so he knew talking to Yu about how he was feeling wasn’t an option, and ironically the one day he wouldn’t mind spending time with Teddie so he wouldn’t feel so alone the exchange student wasn’t actually home.  ‘Figures,’ Yosuke thought, heading up to his room to drop off his stuff and change out of his uniform.

Once he was changed, he paced his room a bit trying to figure out what to do.  If it had been a few weeks ago, he would have been happy just fooling around in his room, playing a game or reading a manga while listening to music.  Now though?  He had been too spoiled by hanging out with Yu most of the time.  And without the other boy around, he was apparently back to his original, lonely self.  He still basically only had Chie and Yukiko as friends outside of Yu, and Yukiko was always busy in the evenings and Chie was often off doing martial arts or whatever else she did to keep herself entertained. 

Yosuke sighed, shaking his head to clear himself of his negative thoughts.  Maybe a walk would do him some good.  He pulled out his mp3 player and headphones and headed out the door, wandering aimlessly and eventually ending up in the shopping district.  He didn’t know why he always ended up there when most of the people hated him; he supposed he was just a sucker for punishment.  With his headphones on at least he couldn’t hear them he figured.  He eventually spotted Kanji up ahead, obviously walking away from his family textile shop, and he sent the taller boy a hopeful wave to catch his attention.  To his surprise it worked, and soon Kanji waved back and made his way over.

“Hey sempai, where’s Yu-sempai?” he asked.  “You both used to be together all the time.”

Yosuke winced as he slid his earphones onto his neck.  Leave it to Kanji to bluntly point out the problem immediately.  “I think he’s off hanging out with Rise,” Yosuke said, trying his best to keep his disappointment out of his tone.  He wasn’t too successful. 

“Huh, I didn’t think Yu-sempai felt all that comfortable hanging around Rise,” Kanji replied, rubbing his hand against the back of his head.  Yosuke looked at him in surprise.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I dunno.  He just looks kind of uncomfortable.  Like he’s just trying to be nice,” Kanji mused.  “Sempai’s a nice guy,” he added.

Yosuke stared at him for several minutes, suddenly vaguely remembering Yukiko or Chie making a similar comment yesterday.  “You really think so?” he asked.  He had been too caught up in his feelings and hadn’t been playing that close attention to how Yu was feeling.  ‘How selfish of me,’ he berated himself.

“Yeah, sempai definitely looks happier when he hangs around you,” Kanji said with a shrug.  “I thought you knew that though, sempai?”

“I’m an idiot,” Yosuke muttered under his breath, and Kanji raised his eyebrows.

“You ok?” he asked, and Yosuke let out a deep breath. 

“I’m not sure.  But I think I will be soon,” he said honestly.  “Thanks, Kanji-kun.  You really made me think about a few things.”  He shot Kanji a grateful smile, and the younger boy looked a bit bashful in response.

“I didn’t do nothin’,” he replied, and Yosuke chuckled.

“Still, how about I treat you to a topsicle or something,” Yosuke insisted, giving Kanji his charming grin.  Kanji couldn’t say no to a free treat, and they soon made their way over to the Shiroku Store, picking out their favorite flavors before heading outside to eat.  They chatted for a bit afterward, and Yosuke realized that hanging out with Kanji wasn’t all that bad.  The other boy was pretty simple and easy to rile up, but he was also frank about things and had a good heart.  ‘Looks like some good may have come from this mess,’ he thought to himself.

It was soon getting close to dinnertime, so the boys split up to head home.  Yosuke returned to see his mom had brought home take out for a change since she hadn’t had time to cook.  She thought it would also be nice for Teddie to be rewarded for his first day home from work.  When Mr. Hanamura and Teddie arrived from Junes, Teddie was brimming with excitement and stories about his first day.  Yosuke listened in amusement as the blond babbled on, wondering how long it would take for the newness and excitement to wear off.  Even he had some slight enthusiasm in the beginning until the negativity of some of his coworkers began to wear on him.  ‘Hopefully Ted won’t have to deal with that,’ he thought, trying to figure out ways he could prevent it.  It wouldn’t be fair to the exchange student at all.

After dinner, Teddie headed straight to bed, tired after his first day, while Yosuke immediately went to his room to pretend to study and to send Yu a text.  It took him a few minutes to come up with the right words, but eventually he managed to type out ‘I miss u,’ followed up moments later by, ‘I’m jealous Rise is stealing u away.’

He waited nervously for several moments for a response, and he was relieved when the reply was pretty immediate.  ‘Aren’t you jealous because you like Rise?’

‘No, I’m jealous because I miss my partner,’ Yosuke immediately typed out, then blushed when he realized what he had sent while immediately wishing he could take it back.  ‘He’s going to think I’m a freak,’ Yosuke immediately thought, running his hand through his hair in frustration.  After their conversation awhile back about being partners, Yosuke had slowly been thinking about their friendship that way in his head, and the word had slipped out unintentionally.

Yu was silent for a moment, which only added to Yosuke’s anxiety, before finally messaging back, ‘I missed you too, partner.’  Yosuke’s blush only grew, and he sucked in his breath at the response.  Yu then immediately followed up with, ‘I’ll make sure we start spending time together again.  Don’t worry, I’ll fix this.’

Yosuke felt immediately relieved at the response, and he set down his phone before actually trying to study for a few minutes before bed.  It was like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.  Sure enough, the next day during lunch Yu and Rise disappeared for a few minutes and when they returned Rise looked slightly embarrassed and asked Teddie if they could both eat with Kanji and Naoto instead.  Teddie didn’t seem to mind and they both headed back downstairs while Yu caught Yosuke’s eyes and nodded his head upward, indicating the roof.  Yosuke nodded and followed him upstairs.

“I let Rise know that while I appreciate her friendship, I cannot return her feelings and don’t want to feel like I’m leading her on,” Yu explained as they got settled and began eating lunch.  “She took it better than I expected actually and said she respects my feelings and appreciates me letting her know.”  Yu looked a bit upset over having to hurt her feelings, and Yosuke felt a pang in his chest.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, partner,” Yosuke shrugged.  “It’s better to let her know now than to let her hold onto hope if you really don’t return her feelings.”

Yu was blushing slightly, but he was hiding it by turning his head to grab the drink he had placed next to him.  “I just know she’s really upset although she was hiding it well,” Yu replied.  “She’s a brave girl.”

Yosuke now felt horrible over spending the past few days feeling jealous over her.  “At least you weren’t moping about it like a jerk,” he said casually.

“I dunno.  I’ve been pretty moody without you around,” Yu admitted.  “I felt myself getting irritated a few times when Rise or Teddie pulled me away, actually.”

“You, irritated at someone?” Yosuke snickered.  “I doubt it.”

“I really was,” Yu insisted.  “I missed you, partner,” he said shyly, and Yosuke’s heart stopped.  After a few moments of carefully watching Yosuke’s completely blank face, Yu asked carefully, “Everything alright, Yosuke?”

That seemed to wake the brunet up.  “Ah, yeah,” he said, flushing in embarrassment.  “I’m fine.  I’m sorry I acted like such a jerk.  I should have explained myself earlier instead of snapping at you.”

“And I’m sorry for not spending more time with you.  I should have let them know how I felt instead of going along and trying to placate them.  It wasn’t fair to you,” Yu replied.

“I guess we both screwed up, huh?” Yosuke commented, and Yu nodded.  “Man, being friends is hard,” Yosuke sighed, and Yu laughed.

“Yeah, it really is,” he agreed.  “But, I’m willing to take on the challenge, if it’s for you.”

Yosuke immediately flushed, before agreeing, “Yeah, same.  You’re definitely worth it.”

They then spent the rest of lunch catching up since it had been a few days since they had really talked.  The also made plans to hang out again that afternoon, Yu insisting that they do some studying since he had a feeling Yosuke had been slacking off like usual.  Yosuke insisted that he had actually studied some last night, but he couldn’t say anything when Yu brought up all the other nights.  All in all, it was great having his friend back again.


	12. The Camping Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the yearly camping trip at school, and Yu and Yosuke go camping for the first time. Yosuke also notices that something is off with Teddie and has a talk with him to figure it out.

Not long afterward, it’s the annual school camping trip which was held every year in the mountains.  The students would go up and camp overnight, cleaning up the campsite as a character building exercise while doing other chores like cooking and learning how to raise the tents and build fires.  Chie and Yukiko who had gone the year before didn’t exactly have fond memories, remembering how exhausting the work was; Yosuke had transferred over after the camping trip so other than the second year’s grumbling over it he and Yu didn’t know what to expect.  Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko would be forming a group together while Rise, Kanji, Teddie, and Naoto formed a group with the first years.  The girls were all on cooking duty and were spending the day before hanging out together to perfect their curry recipes, while the guys would all be on cleaning and tent duty.

“Do you think the girls will be able to cook curry as well as you do?” Yosuke asked Yu as they hung out the day before.  “I mean I’d think Yukiko can working at the inn, but I’m somehow doubtful about Chie…”

“I hope so,” Yu replied straightforwardly, “because our stomachs are in their hands.”

Yosuke frowned and muttered, “Maybe I should bring snacks just in case.”

“Snacks just aren’t the same,” Yu replied.

“It’s better than nothing,” Yosuke said.  “I really hope they can cook though – I can just imagine how good a meal from the heiress of the Amagi Family Inn should be.”

Yu smiled at Yosuke, feeling relaxed as they hung out in his room.  It had been awhile sine Yu last visited, and he was glad that he still felt as warm and welcome as he had the first time he visited.  The moment he had arrived, the Hanamura’s had commented on how it had been too long since his last visit and Teddie had pouted since he had to leave for work soon.  He had been bragging about getting to try Rise and Naoto’s curry the next day, which had led to an arguing match between him and Yosuke until his dad had intervened and told them both to be quiet. 

Yosuke had complained about that earlier before wondering how hot it was going to be outside and whether or not they would get eaten up by mosquitos.  Yu had listened in bemusement, realizing suddenly how much at a disadvantage he and Yosuke were compared to the other students for this trip.  Neither city boy had been camping before, and they were bonding over their slight trepidation about the next day.  It felt nice, having someone to worry about things with for a change, and Yu almost felt sad when he finally had to leave and return home in order to pack for the next day.

The next morning everyone had to be up early in order to catch the bus.  Yosuke and Teddie both arrived last, Yosuke looking tired and grumpy while Teddie was beaming with excitement.  They had both slept in and nearly missed the bus, although it was hard to tell with Teddie who merely looked well-rested as a result.  They quickly joined up with each of their groups, Yosuke immediately falling back asleep next to Yu on the bus while Teddie excitedly chatted with Kanji, Rise, and Naoto the whole trip.  Yu, meanwhile, stared out the window in silence, quietly listening to Chie and Yukiko’s conversation in the seats in front of them, feeling slightly nervous when he overheard their experiments in the kitchen the day before.  Yu suddenly hoped Yosuke did in fact bring some snacks with him. 

At one point during the drive, the bus took a sharp curve now that the roads were beginning to wind their way up the mountain, and as a result Yosuke ended up leaning toward Yu with his head landing on his shoulder.  Yu stiffened at the sudden warmth, before turning slightly to note that Yosuke was definitely still deep asleep, his face half covered by his messy bangs that had slid over his eyes.  Yu glanced around to see that none of the other students seemed to have noticed either and carefully adjusted Yosuke’s head until it rested more comfortably on his shoulder before carefully brushing his hair back into place, smiling slightly at how soft Yosuke’s face looked in his sleep.  The other teen rarely looked at peace like this, since he was usually brimming with nervous energy.  Yu then relaxed, staring back out the window with his friend’s comforting weight rested against his arm and shoulder.

When Yu spotted the campgrounds up ahead and knew that they would soon be arriving, he gently nudged Yosuke awake, disappointed when the other teen pulled away from his shoulder with a start, looking disoriented as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  “Dude, I’m so sorry I slept this whole time.  I was supposed to keep you company,” Yosuke said, looking disappointed.

“It’s not a problem.  I quite enjoyed watching the scenery on the way up,” Yu said, giving Yosuke his encouraging smile that always seemed to calm his fears.  When Yosuke relaxed, Yu felt relieved as well.  “I do have a question though.  I couldn’t help but overhear Yukiko and Chie discuss their…efforts last night with the curry.  I was wondering if you brought those snacks after all?”

Yosuke stared at Yu for several moments, processing his words.  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, partner?” he asked.

“I’m…asking if you brought snacks,” Yu reiterated, and Yosuke groaned.

“Yeah, I did, but I was hoping they were just going to tide us over _after_ dinner.  Not _become_ dinner,” he whined.

Yu placed a comforting hand on Yosuke’s shoulder before saying, “Maybe I’m wrong.  If I’m not…then thank you.”

Yosuke snorted before standing up and grabbing his bag as everyone began to disembark from the bus.  Everyone quickly formed their groups before heading over to the camping area to set up the tents and put away their stuff.  Yu and Yosuke struggled with the tents for several minutes before Chie finally stepped in to help out, grumbling about how setting up camp was supposed to be their job.  Yukiko giggled at her before helping as well, showing the city boys how it was done.  Once the girls set up the first tent, the boys were finally able to figure out how to set up the other one.  They were both grateful for the assistance, even if Yosuke tried to hide it by grumbling about how they didn’t need any help. 

Over with the first years, Kanji basically put up the first tent by himself after Teddie almost sabotaged it with his misguided enthusiasm.  Kanji actually snapped at him for a change, causing Teddie to recoil and slink back out of the way while Rise stepped in to help and Naoto began laying out tasks for everyone on the trip.  She directed Teddie and Kanji to put away their stuff and to help carry over the cooler containing their ingredients for dinner later, while she and Rise would of course prepare and cook everything.  Kanji did apologize for snapping at Teddie afterward, but the blond appeared to have lost some of his energy from that morning.

Once all the students had their stuff set up, they headed off to their main task for the day which was cleaning up the woods.  Their groups were each given an area to take care of and they either had to pick up trash, clean up around the river, or sweep and pickup at the campgrounds.  The second year’s group ended up cleaning up around the river, and as the morning grew closer to the afternoon, Yosuke began to give the river a longing look, suddenly wishing he had brought his swim trunks and teasing the girls about what kind of swimsuits they would wear…until Chie threatened to shove him in the water if he wanted to go swimming so badly.  Yu and Yukiko both laughed at that while Yosuke pouted, until Yu pointed out he brought it upon himself.  “I really do wish we could get out of this heat though,” Yosuke sighed, his sweaty bangs sticking to his face.  “I am not cut out for this outdoor work stuff.”

“Yeah, I have to admit, it’s pretty awful,” Chie agreed.  “We did try to warn you two though.”

“Yeah hearing about it is not the same as experiencing it,” Yosuke countered, reaching down and picking up more trash that the locals had dumped up here.  He placed it in his bag before looking around.  “I think we got our area pretty much cleaned up though.”

“We’ll have more to do after lunch,” Yukiko explained with a sigh, wiping at her forehead.  She had her hair pulled back for a change but didn’t seem as bothered by the heat. 

“What’s going to be for lunch?” Yu asked, looking excited at the prospect of food.

“The teachers grill up some meat and vegetables,” Chie said, mouth watering at the prospect.  “That was the only thing I liked about the trip last year to be honest…”

“Oh thank god,” Yosuke muttered under his breath.  At least the boys were guaranteed one good meal.

“What was that?” Chie asked in confusion, and Yosuke’s head snapped up.

“I was just saying I’m looking forward to it,” he quickly said.  “I don’t know about you guys but I’m starved!”

“It should be time to eat soon,” Yukiko agreed.  “We should probably head back to the picnic area.”

Sure enough, they arrived to the smell of food grilling and saw their teachers either at work grilling the food or setting up plates, utensils, and drinks for the students.  Other students seemed to have had the same idea as them and were milling about waiting to be able to eat.  Not long after they arrived, Sofue-sensei rang a bell to signify that lunch was ready, causing the rest of the students still working to begin making their way over to eat.  The four hungry second years happily grabbed a plate and some skewers that were set out for them to eat, before grabbing drinks and making their way to one of the picnic tables to eat.  They were eventually joined by the first years who had been picking up closer to the campsite and hadn’t made their way over until they heard the bell.  Teddie plopped down next to Yosuke, eating his food quietly for a change while the older teen gave him a confused glance.  “Everything ok, Ted?” he asked, and Teddie immediately nodded his head.

“I’m just beary tired,” he explained, immediately faking a yawn.  “Unlike Yosuke I didn’t get my bear-uty sleep on the bus!”

The others laughed while Yosuke immediately blushed, yelling at Teddie who immediately went back to eating quietly once the attention was off of him.  Yosuke noticed but decided to leave it for now, going back to his food while glancing at the other boy.  He looked at the other three first years, noting that they didn’t seem to notice Teddie’s unusual behavior.  Rise and Naoto were in a conversation with Yukiko and Chie about making dinner that night, while Yu and Kanji were talking about Kanji’s crafting hobby.  Yosuke couldn’t imagine the other three bullying Teddie or anything like that, and he tried to think of what else could be causing the blond to act so moody.  Maybe he was cranky after sleeping in this morning after all?

His thoughts were soon interrupted by the bell ringing to signify the end of lunch, and the teachers assigning new areas for everyone to clean until it was time to get ready for dinner.  After cleaning up their plates, the students headed off again, cleaning well into the late afternoon until it was time to start getting ready for supper.  Yu and Yosuke were tasked with starting a fire for Chie and Yukiko to use to cook with, and they would also be on cleaning duty once dinner was finished.  While they worked on gathering wood for the fire, the two girls headed to the picnic area to start preparing their ingredients.  While the boys gathered firewood, Yu kept glancing over to see what items the girls had in the cooler, his face blanching as they pulled more and more out to use.  “Yosuke, please tell me you brought a _lot_ of snacks,” he finally said, causing Yosuke to glance back and stare at the array of ingredients both girls had sitting out next to them.

“Ok, I may not have cooked curry before, but even I know half of that stuff has no business being placed in curry.  Yu, you’ve got to go say something to them,” Yosuke begged.

“Maybe it won’t be as bad as it looks,” Yu reasoned, and Yosuke groaned.

“We are so doomed, partner,” he sighed.

They resignedly brought their wood over to the grill the girls would be using to cook the curry, trying multiple times to start the fire the way the teachers had tried to show them during a demonstration earlier, until Yosuke snuck out a matchbox he had brought along just in case in order to light it for them.  They then stepped aside for the girls, looking worried as they got to work and began tossing different meats and vegetables they had cut up into the pot to sauté.  “Isn’t that a…wide variety of meat?” Yosuke finally spoke up.

“The more the better!” Chie said cheerfully.

Yukiko then dumped some fermented vegetables in the pot that immediately made Yosuke gag and even Yu scrunch his nose.  “A-and that?” Yosuke asked.

“I thought some kimchi would spice things up!” Yukiko said excitedly.

Over with the first years, things were only going slightly better.  Naoto and Rise’s curry seemed to be normal enough, until Rise pulled out an assortment of spices to add to theirs.  Once she was through and the water was added to start boiling the potatoes, the curry had taken on a definite red hue that was making the other three look rather worried.  “Hanamura-san’s curry doesn’t look like that,” Teddie finally pointed out, whimpering slightly at the glare Rise gave him.

“Well, Teddie, everyone’s curry is going to be a little different,” she sniffed, crossing her arms and tapping her foot.  “It’ll taste great – I’m sure of it!”

By the time both curries were ready to eat, pretty much all parties involved were worried about trying either of them.  Even the rice on Yukiko and Chie’s end didn’t look quite right, and when Yosuke took a bite to try it he realized it was still kind of crunchy and undercooked.  Both Yukiko and Chie winced when they heard it, but Yosuke for once kept his mouth shut and didn’t say anything.  “Well, ready to eat!” Chie said, full of false cheer as she poured the curry onto everyone’s plate.  It had an odd smell, almost like it had somehow spoiled, and it was an off yellow-green color instead of the normal brown that Japanese curry usually looked.

At the table next to them, Rise and Naoto’s curry smelled mostly normal except for the obvious spice that was making everyone’s eyes water from the smell alone, and it was an obvious red color as well.  “Well, itadakimasu!” Rise said cheerfully, before digging her spoon into the curry and taking a large bite.  Her eyes immediately began to water, but she managed to force it down somehow.

Kanji and Teddie exchanged glances, before they both bravely took a bite, Teddie immediately gagging by reflex while Kanji forced his down with some water.  Naoto sniffed at hers before taking a small bite, eyes immediately slamming shut as she forced it down.

At the second year table, all four of them were staring dubiously at their curry, none of them wanting to be the first to try it.  “Aren’t you guys going to eat after we worked so hard on your meal?” Chie finally asked, an obviously nervous tone to her voice.

“Shouldn’t you be dying to try your own cooking?” Yosuke pointed out, moving his around with his spoon.

Yu let out a sigh, before digging his spoon in and bringing it up to his lips.  He hesitated before quickly holding his breath and forcing it down his throat.  He immediately began choking, and Yosuke quickly began smacking him on the back until he was breathing normally again.  “C’mon, there’s no way it’s _that_ bad,” Chie said, finally taking a bite before immediately spitting it out again.  She stared down at her plate in horror while Yukiko curiously tried a bite herself.  She somehow managed to get it down before immediately pushing her plate away afterward.

“I take that back,” Chie said.  “I’m sorry guys.”

Yosuke let out a sigh, before trying a bite himself.  He figured he couldn’t be the only one not to try it.  He immediately regretted it and spit it out like Chie had.  “That was…pretty awful,” he said.  He looked over at Chie and Yukiko who both looked disappointed and let out a sigh.  “Well, you both gave it your best, right partner?” Yosuke asked, turning to Yu.

Yu still looked a bit pale but nodded.  “Yeah, thanks for…trying,” he said.

“Partner, huh?” Chie commented.  “When did you start calling each other that?”

Yosuke began to blush, while Yu calmly replied, “A little while ago.  Yosuke and I had an argument and afterward decided we should treat each other like equals.”

Yosuke relaxed slightly after his explanation, remembering that conversation awhile back.  That was what had given him the idea about the nickname, so it wasn’t like Yu was wrong.  “Yeah, like partners,” Yosuke nodded.

“I think it fits them,” Yukiko said thoughtfully, and Chie shrugged.

“Argh, I just feel awful about dinner though,” she said, changing the conversation.

“It’s fine.  Yu and I have some snacks back at the tent,” Yosuke shrugged.

“I brought some with me from the inn,” Yukiko admitted.  “I think my mom thought we were doomed to fail…”

Chie giggled.  “Your mom is pretty smart about stuff like that,” she admitted.

“No fair, we’re eating convenience store food while they get bentos from the inn,” Yosuke groaned, and Chie stuck her tongue out at him.

“I do seem to recall you daydreaming about getting a meal from the heiress of the Amagi Inn,” Yu said thoughtfully.  “Are you sure you don’t want more?”

Yosuke swatted at Yu grumpily.  “No offense Yukiko, but I don’t think I can eat anymore,” Yosuke admitted.

“It’s alright, I tried it too,” she said.  “Chie and I can’t blame you at all.”

“We’ll clean up for you guys anyway,” Yosuke said with a sigh, before picking up his plate.  “Right, partner?”

Yu nodded.  The girls both protested that since their meal was a fail, the least they could do was clean up, but both boys insisted.  At the other table, the first years had forced down more of the hot curry before finally giving up and also getting cleaned up.  Teddie and Kanji also stayed behind to clean, while Naoto and Rise headed to Chie and Yukiko’s tent in order to eat some of the food Yukiko’s mother had packed.  “That was more of a nightmare than I could have imagined,” Yosuke said with a sigh.  “I mean, you warned me, but still…”

Yu shook his head.  “I feel like a piece of me died earlier,” he admitted honestly.

“At least you’re not going to have to worry about what will happen later,” Kanji said darkly, hand over his stomach.  Rise and Naoto’s curry was currently tearing up his insides.  “Do you have enough snacks to share with all of us, sempai?” he asked Yosuke hopefully.

Yosuke sighed deeply.  “Yeah, I guess I can share with you and Ted,” he said, and Kanji’s face lit up. 

“Hell yeah!” he said excitedly.  Next to him, Teddie didn’t say anything, and Yosuke frowned.

“We’ve also packed some cards and manga to read,” Yu added.  They had just finished cleaning up, and he was turning to head back to the tent. 

“You both go ahead.  Ted and I will catch up in a few minutes,” Yosuke said.  Kanji looked confused, while Yu turned to glance at Teddie before meeting Yosuke’s eyes and giving him an encouraging nod. 

“We’ll hold off on eating until you both join us,” he promised, before leading Kanji toward the camp area.

Yosuke waited for them to get far enough away, before sitting back at the picnic bench and giving Teddie a look.  “So, what’s been bugging you all day?” he finally asked.

Teddie frowned before sitting down next to Yosuke, drawing his knees into his chest.  “Teddie has been feeling beary lonely today,” he finally admitted.

“You’ve been hanging out with Kanji, Rise, and Naoto though,” Yosuke pointed out, and Teddie shook his head.

“All Teddie does is annoy them,” he admitted.  Yosuke bit his lip, for Teddie usually only slipped into third person like that when he was really upset.

“Ted, none of them are annoyed by you,” he finally said.  “Sure, you can be annoying sometimes.  But you’re a fun kid, and I know they enjoy having you around too.”

Teddie lifted his head to look at him, tears in his eyes.  “Yosuke too?” he finally asked after a few moments.

“Of course,” Yosuke replied.  “It took me some getting used to you, not gonna lie.  I’m not used to having another kid at the house all the time.  But it’s definitely been livelier since you moved in.  It’s kind of nice having someone around to crush at videogames,” he joked.  Teddie sniffed loudly, before running hand over his eyes to wipe away his tears.  “My parents like you too.  Mom likes that you help out around the house without complaining like her lazy son, and dad says you’re doing a great job at work.  A lot of our regulars adore you,” Yosuke grinned.

Teddie shot Yosuke a weak smile back.  “I like spending time with you,” he admitted, his Japanese improving as he calmed down.  “Back at home I am often beary lonely because I don’t have any brothers or sisters either.”  He stared forward, and Yosuke suddenly wondered about his home life.  He talked to his parents every week but didn’t talk about his life in the United States very often.  “Lately, though, I have missed my home.  Japan is a lot of fun and I have made nice friends but…”  Teddie dropped his head down again.

Yosuke sighed, understanding what was going on now, and placed a comforting hand on Teddie’s back.  “You’re homesick,” he realized, and Teddie nodded against his knees.

“Damn, Ted, I’m sorry.  I wish you had told me earlier,” Yosuke sighed.  “I feel kind of shitty snapping at you yesterday now.”

“When Yosuke snaps it’s because he cares,” Teddie replied sagely, and Yosuke poked him while Teddie began to giggle.  “I really don’t mind though.  Because you really do care and I know it,” Teddie added.

Yosuke frowned.  “Still, I’ll try to be better, Ted.  I know I can be a bit of an ass sometimes,” he admitted.

Teddie smiled at him.  “Thanks, Yosuke,” he said, before throwing his arms around his neck.  Yosuke immediately bit down his usual grumbled retort, and forced himself to pat Teddie on the back instead.

“You ready to hang out with your sensei and Kanji?” he asked.

“Yes!” Teddie said, cheerfully jumping up and running off toward the campsite. 

“Wait, Teddie, wait for me!” Yosuke shouted, now allowing himself to grumble as he took off after the excitable blond.

When they reached Yosuke and Yu’s tent, they found Yu and Kanji already setting out the snacks and manga, before Yu pulled out the card deck and began shuffling it.  “Everything ok?” Yu asked as they walked up.

“Yes, thanks to Yosuke!” Teddie beamed, while Yosuke blushed slightly at the compliment.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” he added, before they both climbed in and squeezed into the tight space.  They then spent the rest of the evening chatting, eating snacks, and playing cards until it was lights out.  Kanji and Teddie both ended up falling asleep in the tent with Yosuke and Yu, Kanji lying flat on his back spread out on one side while Teddie was snuggled up next to Yosuke’s left, using the older boy’s arm as a pillow while Yosuke tried his best not to crowd up too much against Yu who was on his right.

Yu smiled at Teddie who was sleeping peacefully curled up next to Yosuke, before saying quietly, “You did a great job cheering him up.”

“Well, I guess I could kind of relate to what he is going through,” Yosuke replied softly.  “And I felt kind of bad because I didn’t always make things easy for him early on.”

“Hm, I think you’re doing a good job now,” Yu complimented, smiling at the shy expression that crossed the other boy’s face.  He had turned so he could face Yosuke, not at all minding how close they were.  He silently thanked Kanji and Teddie for crashing the tent and forcing the situation on them.

“If you say so,” Yosuke shrugged, careful not to move his arm too much so he wouldn’t wake Teddie.  “It almost feels sometimes like I inherited a little brother or something.”

“I think that’s nice,” Yu replied.  “I used to wish I could have a brother or a sister.”

“Well, you have Nanako now, don’t you?” Yosuke pointed out.

Yu paused for a moment, before a soft smile crossed his face.  “Yeah, I suppose I do,” he admitted.

They quietly talked for a bit longer, before Yosuke finally fell asleep, his breath quickly evening out.  It didn’t take long for Yu to follow, after quietly watching Yosuke sleep for several moments until finally succumbing himself.  The next morning, the guys all woke up after a peaceful night’s sleep, and they were surprised to find that the girls all except for Yukiko looked drained and tired the next morning.  Chie and Rise explained quietly as they packed everything up that Yukiko had kept them up late telling them ghost stories last night, while Naoto who usually looked so calm and collected stood in a daze next to them like she had actually seen a ghost.  It appeared that the other three girls had been unable to fall asleep after Yukiko went to bed and had stayed up all night as a result.

Earlier that morning, Yosuke had woken up to find himself curled up next to Yu who had his arm draped across his waist and a peaceful expression while he slept.  Yu looked surprisingly young in his sleep and like his actual age for a change, since when awake he usually acted more mature and constantly seemed to be analyzing everything around him.  Yosuke had frozen, carefully glancing back to check to see if Kanji and Teddie were still sleeping and immediately feeling relieved once he realized they were.  He then had carefully extracted himself from Yu’s grasp, hesitating when he saw a slight flicker cross the gray haired boy’s sleeping face until it evened out as he continued to sleep. 

Yosuke immediately escaped to the bathroom to use it and splashed water on his face wake himself up, and he was relieved when he returned to find the others awake and beginning to pack up.  It took Yosuke several minutes to work up the courage to look at Yu to see if he had noticed anything, and he couldn’t tell if he was happy or not when the other boy appeared to be acting the same as always.  He was glad, however, to see Teddie seemed to have fully recovered from his mood yesterday, and he was happily talking to Kanji, Naoto, and Rise who all seemed to appreciate the blond’s enthusiasm, just as Yosuke had said yesterday.  Yosuke smiled to himself, before turning to Yu and asking him if he was ready to put the whole camping trip experience behind them.  Yu immediately agreed, although internally he admitted that there were a few things he enjoyed about the trip.  Waking up to find Yosuke curled up against his chest had definitely been one of them, and he had been disappointed when the other boy had finally woken up and quietly left that morning.  Yu was definitely going to have to do something about his growing feelings for his partner, but he had no idea what he could do about them.


	13. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke tries to hide the fact that it's his birthday from his friends.

Once the students returned to class after the school camping trip, time seemed to start flying by.  Soon, they only had around a month until the end of the semester, which meant exams were right around the corner.  It also happened to be Yosuke’s birthday, although he was carefully keeping it low-key and hadn’t told anyone about it.  Last year he had found out about his dad’s transfer around his birthday which caused it to be a bit of a downer and once first term had ended they had moved to Inaba.  Yosuke’s life then turned upside down as he struggled to adjust to the much different small town life, not knowing anyone when everyone else had grown up together, and the disdain a lot of the people in town had for Junes and his family.  And to top it off, the people in the city he thought were his friends quickly drifted away until he had felt alone.

Yosuke supposed that still weighed a bit on his mind, which is why even though he had finally formed some friendships in Inaba, he hesitated to let them know that it was actually his birthday today.  He figured he just didn’t want to feel disappointed yet again and that it would just be better to quietly celebrate it with his family that weekend as planned.  His father had scheduled him to work that night anyway, since they were doing their celebration over the weekend when his father could participate as well; he often worked long hours during the week and Yosuke did want him to be able to join in.  His mom was going to cook his favorite dishes that weekend, and he figured his dad would probably be bringing a cake from work. 

Teddie had been pretty excited this morning when he learned what day it was, and Yosuke had a heck of a time convincing him not to say anything about it to anyone at school.  The blond had been pretty confused as to why Yosuke was hiding it, but eventually agreed not to say anything.  Yosuke just couldn’t handle another year of half-hearted well wishes or people ‘wishing they had known so they could have gotten him something.’

Thus, his school day went by pretty much the same as usual.  The highlight of his day was lunch on the roof with Yu, even if it was swelteringly hot outside this time of year.  They both fanned themselves with one of their notebooks while they ate the fried chicken Yu had prepared and downed the cold drinks Yosuke bought them.  They were talking about summer plans and how the first term had just seemed to fly by, when Yu suddenly interrupted, asking, “Do you work tonight?”

Yosuke was thrown for a loop at the sudden change in the conversation, but quickly changed gears.  “Yup, I do.  Why, did you want to hang out?”

Yu tapped his chopsticks on the side of his bento, obviously pondering something.  “I did,” he finally replied.  “I didn’t expect you to be working today,” he added.

“Why’s that?” Yosuke asked, now genuinely confused.  It’s not like Yu knew what today was, after all.  He was even more surprised when Yu shot him a bewildered look of his own.  Yu then pulled out his phone and checked it, raising his eyebrows and nodding to himself before flipping it shut and sliding it back into his pocket.  “Um, earth to Yu?”

“No reason,” Yu replied smoothly.  “You just work a lot.”

“Tell me about it,” Yosuke complained.  “You’d think my own dad would cut me some slack, right?”

They then began talking about work – Yu’s troubles with his tutoring job while Yosuke went over some of the highlights of what he had to deal with at Junes.  Yosuke tried to shake their odd conversation from his mind, although once lunch was over he kept mulling over it, wondering at his friend’s odd behavior.  He kept coming back to it until the bell rang, and he sighed and packed up his stuff before waving at Chie, Yukiko, and Yu as he made his way out the door.  He’d be going straight to Junes after class today.  Or at least he had been planning to until he stepped outside and nearly ran into Teddie who had obviously raced up the stairs right when the bell rang.

“Whoah, Ted, what’s up?” Yosuke said, quickly taking a step back so he wouldn’t run into him.

“I want to take your shift today!” Teddie said excitedly, and Yosuke’s brows furrowed in confusion.  “Because it’s your birth…I mean, because I feel like it!”

Yosuke had immediately started making shushing noises at him, and he began pushing Teddie down the hall in front of him.  The exchange student still didn’t seem to understand what an acceptable tone was for conversation in Japan and was always much too loud.  “Please, Yosuke?” Teddie begged, and the brunet let out a sigh.

“You really want to take my shift Teddie?” Yosuke asked, and he enthusiastically nodded.

“I honestly wasn’t too keen about working on…well, working today,” Yosuke mused.  “And Yu did seem to want to hang out earlier, although by now he probably made different plans…”

“Sensei didn’t make different plans!” Teddie blurted out, and Yosuke gave him a strange look.

“And how would you know that?” he sighed in exasperation.  “Also, if you’re taking my shift you’ve got to head over now – I had the earlier shift today.”

Teddie immediately saluted at Yosuke before cheerfully waving and rushing off again.  Yosuke shook his head, albeit with an amused smile on his face.  He then immediately turned back around to head back to the classroom, curious to see if Yu was still free for the afternoon.  He found Yu still sitting at his desk, already packed and chatting with Chie.  Yukiko had left, more than likely having work to do at the inn.  “Hey, so Teddie apparently _really_ wanted my shift so I guess I’m free this afternoon after all?” Yosuke said, nervously running his hand through his hair.  It would be so typical if Yu had already changed his plans and would be hanging out with someone else…

To his surprise, Yu hardly seemed surprised by the change in plans and merely replied, “Excellent news.  You want to hang out at my place?”

“Uh, sure,” Yosuke said, before turning to look at Chie.  There was no way he was the only one who thought Yu’s reaction was weird, right?  He was immediately taken aback by the glare he met when he faced her.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us it was your birthday,” she huffed, and Yosuke immediately winced.  Apparently, they had heard Teddie after all.

“I mean, I just didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” Yosuke replied, nervously glancing over at Yu.  The gray haired boy didn’t seem to mind, and he felt slightly relieved.  “I kind of didn’t have the best time last year and…just didn’t want a repeat of that.”

Chie frowned, although it no longer seemed to be directed at him.  “I’m sure if you had let us know, we would have made it much better than whatever happened last year,” she finally replied.  “Have a little faith in us, Yosuke.”

Yosuke blushed, placing his hand on the back of his head.  “Sorry.  I guess…I’ll know better next time,” he said.

“I’m still going to get you something,” Chie said with a grin, before slinging her bag over her shoulder.  “You’ll be surprised,” she said with a wink before heading off before Yosuke could protest.

He let out a deep sigh, before turning to look at Yu.  “Sorry to you too, I guess,” Yosuke said, gripping the strap of his bag. 

“No, I think I understand,” Yu replied, standing up and grabbing his own school bag.  “I’m the same way about my own birthday,” he confessed.  “But, if I’m being honest, I already knew.  That’s why I wanted to hang out today,” he added.

“How?” Yosuke asked as they headed downstairs to their shoe locker. 

“I had seen it on the calendar in your room,” Yu shrugged.  “I figured you wouldn’t be working on your birthday and had planned a few things as a surprise.”  Yu was carefully not looking at Yosuke, but Yosuke looked over and could see a tinge of pink on his friend’s cheeks.

“Leave it to my dad to ruin that,” Yosuke chuckled.  “Although he scheduled me today so I could be off this weekend for the family celebration.”

“Well, fortunately, Teddie was kind enough to take your shift,” Yu said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“That was your doing, wasn’t it?” Yosuke chuckled.  “Ted was acting so weird about it, so I had a feeling it wasn’t his idea.  Thanks, partner.”  Yosuke beamed at Yu, before walking out to unchain his bike.  He sent a text to his parents to let them know his change of plans before walking his bike with Yu over to the Dojima’s house.  Yosuke was surprised to see the house empty when they arrived, and curiously asked, “Where’s Nanako-chan?”

“Ah, she’s hanging out at a friend’s house this afternoon,” Yu replied, trying to sound casual.  Yosuke began to have an inkling about how much planning Yu had actually placed into this surprise birthday get together.  “I figured that I would cook for you tonight and that we’d hang out and do whatever you wanted,” Yu added.  “I also made you a cake.”

Yosuke’s eyes lit up immediately.  “You _made_ me a cake?” he gushed.  “Can I see it?”

“After dinner,” Yu chuckled.  He looked pleased, however.  “Why don’t we hang out for a bit before that?”  He got both of them a bottle of tea from the fridge, and they both settled on the couch to watch a detective show that Yosuke was into.  Once the episode was over, Yu wandered into the kitchen and pulled on an apron to get started on dinner.  Yosuke watched him from the couch, chatting with him as Yu expertly prepared their meal.  Yu whipped up marinated chicken, rice topped with nori, a clear broth soup, steamed vegetables, and pickles.  He also had some cold tea for them to sip while they ate.  Yosuke was definitely impressed as he joined Yu at the dinner table, noting that he had set aside a third portion for his uncle as well.  Apparently Nanako would be eating at her friend’s house.

“Itadakimasu,” they both said in unison before immediately digging in.  It felt almost domestic, the two of them sitting together to eat a meal that Yu had just prepared in front of them.  It was one thing to eat Yu’s cooking at school, and quite another to eat it at a table after watching him prepare it.  Yosuke couldn’t say that he disliked the feeling, but he carefully kept his thoughts to himself, afraid of weirding out his friend.

After they finished eating, Yu finally pulled out the birthday cake, and Yosuke couldn’t help but stare at it in amazement.  “You…made that?” he asked in shock, because it looked exactly like one of those cakes you’d see at a bakery.  It was a yellow cake with whipped cream frosting, expertly piped along the edge to give it a swirly design, and topped with fresh strawberries.  Along the edges Yu had also lined it with sliced almonds to give it some texture.

“Do you not like it?” Yu asked, slight worry in his tone, and Yosuke immediately shook his head.

“Yu, I love it,” he said, immediately taking out his phone to capture a photo.  He’d definitely want to remember this later.  “I just can’t believe you made something so fancy.  For me!”

Yu was happy about his answer and sat back in his chair.  “I had to practice a few times,” he admitted.  “Nanako and my uncle ate a lot of cake this week.”

Yosuke laughed at his sheepish expression, feeling his heart immediately warm at the admission.  “You went through all of that?” he asked, and Yu nodded.  “Wow, I’m incredibly lucky to have a friend like you.  Well, I guess I can’t stare at it forever.  It’s time to taste the fruits of your efforts!”

They both dug into the cake, each of them taking a large slice and immediately indulging.  “This is definitely the best one,” Yu said as he thoughtfully took his first bite.  He seemed pretty pleased at the fact.

“Partner,” Yosuke said, immediately setting down his fork.  “I think maybe you should consider opening a bakery.  Or a restaurant.”  Yu began to chuckle, and Yosuke shook his head.  “No, I’m serious!  This is like the best cake I’ve ever tasted!  There’s no way whatever my dad will bring home from Junes this weekend will be as good as this!”

Yu blushed at his praise, at a loss for words at first.  He finally shyly replied, “I’m glad you like it,” before focusing on finishing up his piece.  Yosuke quickly followed suit and they both soon had clean plates.  “You can bring the rest home to share with your family,” Yu said.  “I think Nanako and my uncle are ready to take a break from cake at this point.”

“I don’t see how if they tasted half as good as this one did,” Yosuke shook his head.  “But, thanks, I’m sure Teddie will love it.  And my parents will appreciate it too.”  Afterward, Yosuke insisted on helping Yu with the dishes, even though he protested that it was Yosuke’s birthday and he didn’t want to make him work.  Not long after they were finished, Nanako returned home, excited to see Yosuke and wishing him a happy birthday.  She asked if he liked her big bro’s cake, and Yosuke smiled fondly at her as he replied that he loved it.  He stayed and chatted with them for a bit longer, before he headed home, carefully balancing the cake on top of his bike.  What Yosuke had thought was going to be a pretty quiet birthday had turned into a pretty amazing one, proving his earlier misgivings to be entirely misplaced.

Later that week, he continued to be surprised when he actually received a cd he had mentioned in passing from Chie, who had actually remembered him expressing interest in it.  She and Yukiko had pooled their money together, and Chie had taken an afternoon trip to Okina after class to pick it up.  Yosuke was pretty touched at the thoughtful gift and apologized sincerely to Chie for trying to hide it from her.  He was even more surprised when on the same day Kanji dropped by during their lunch to deliver him a little doll he had crocheted for him.  It was a cute orange cat wearing headphones that looked pretty much identical to his own, and both boys had blushed furiously during the whole awkward exchange.  Yosuke had managed to thank Kanji though, surprised that his underclassman had heard about his birthday and had been thoughtful enough to make him something.  He planned on setting it on his bookshelf where he kept his manga and cds, and he couldn’t help but smile to himself as he admired it.  Maybe Inaba wasn’t such a bad place after all.


	14. Study Group

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke and Yu get ready for exams~

As it starts to get closer to exam time, Yosuke begins trying to cram at home, cursing his beginning of the semester laziness in particular.  Now that he has Yu as a friend, he’s been doing slightly better about studying and doing his homework since Yu often insisted on it, but any material prior to their friendship was pretty much foreign to him.  Yosuke had his head resting on his desk one morning while looking pretty pitiful when Yu walked in the room, giving him a curious glance as he set his stuff down in the seat in front of him.  “Everything alright?” he finally asked, and Yosuke heaved a dramatic sigh.

“I’m just so screwed for these exams,” he complained.  “I’m doing alright on the more recent material, but anything from the beginning of the year I’m struggling with.”

“That’s because you didn’t use to study,” Chie admonished him, and Yosuke turned to glare.

“No one asked you, Chie,” he said grumpily while she laughed.  “Besides, it’s not like you did either – you’re in the same boat!”

Chie stopped laughing at that and immediately winced.  “Ok, you may have a point.  But I have Yukiko here to help me study, right?” she asked, looking hopefully over at her best friend.  Yukiko always scored well on exams and was incredibly smart.

“Of course.  Although if you tried harder throughout the semester, you wouldn’t be in this predicament every time exams roll around,” Yukiko teased.

Yosuke immediately turned to look at Yu, giving him his best puppy dog eyes impression.  Yu laughed, before saying, “Of course I’ll help you study.  As long as you’re ready to keep up with my study regimen.  I won’t go easy on you.”

Yosuke blanched slightly, but nodded.  “As long as it helps, I’m all for it!  My dad has lightened my shifts this week to give me time to study, so would you be able to come over tonight maybe?”

“Yeah, it’s an early night for my uncle so he should be able to take care of Nanako.  I’ll text him at lunch to confirm,” Yu replied.  Dojima had been trying harder to come home early more often, and Yu knew that Nanako would love spending some time with her dad if she could.  They could both work in the garden together or go out to dinner.  At lunch he did confirm with Dojima that he would be able to take care of Nanako that afternoon, and Yu let Yosuke know that he was ok to come over and study.  Yosuke looked excited and quickly sent a text to his mom to let her know.

“I think my mom wants to adopt you,” Yosuke muttered once he got his mom’s enthusiastic reply back.  A brief shadow crossed Yu’s face that Yosuke didn’t notice, before he masked it with a pleasant smile.

“Are you saying you wouldn’t want me in the family?” he lightly teased, before taking a bite of rice.

Yosuke immediately flushed, struggling to come up with a reply.  For some reason, he _didn’t_ like the idea of Yu being his brother, and he didn’t want to hurt his feelings about it.  Yu watched him struggle, carefully taking in the array of expressions crossing his face.  Finally, Yosuke said, “I dunno.  The thought of you being my brother is kind of weird.”  He was tapping his chopsticks on the side of the plastic container containing his vegetables.  “I wouldn’t want anything to ruin this, you know?” he clarified, waving his hand at both of them.  “If you were my brother, maybe it wouldn’t be the same?”

Yu’s eyes widened slightly, and to Yosuke’s relief he looked pleased at his reply.  “I feel the same way,” he said, before both boys returned their focus to eating before the bell rang to signify the end of lunch.

When Yu joined Yosuke and Teddie on their way home from school, the blond was overly excited that sensei would be coming over to hang out with them.  Yosuke had to keep reminding Teddie he was coming over to study and not just to hang out, but it did nothing to curb Teddie’s enthusiasm.  Once they got to the Hanamura household, they were immediately met with a large array of snacks that Yosuke’s mom had set out for them, stating that they’d need a lot of energy in order to study hard.  Teddie immediately began complimenting her and thanking her, causing her to smile even though by now she was used to Teddie’s sweet talking.  Yu also politely thanked her, and she seemed to appreciate that even more.  “It’s not a big deal,” she said, before winking at Yosuke who stared back at her before shaking his head.

“Yeah, thanks mom,” Yosuke said, grabbing the tray of food and heading upstairs.  He heard his mom giggle about how shy her son was sometimes and how cute it was, and his ears immediately turned red.  Yu and Teddie both followed him to his room, which he quickly had to rearrange since it was a bit messy, setting the tray of food down on his bed as he did so.  He then pulled out a tv tray to set the food on, placing it next to the bed so he and Yu could grab snacks as they studied.  They both began to pull their notes and books out of their bags to study with, while Teddie went to grab his own from his room, spreading his materials across the ground while Yu’s and Yosuke’s ended up sprawled across Yosuke’s bed.

Yu immediately got to work, proving to be a true taskmaster as he pulled out a list he had prepared of materials to review during their free time earlier. Yosuke at first balked slightly upon seeing the long list, until Yu had reminded him that he had asked for his help and had neglected to study earlier in the year, causing Yosuke to begrudgingly do as he said.  Teddie was at first quiet as he focused on his own material, until about an hour in when he finally began to grow bored and begged them for a study break.  To Yu’s surprise, instead of snapping at Teddie like he usually did, Yosuke as patiently as he could manage explained to Teddie that he really had to focus tonight and that if Teddie let him study, maybe he could play a game with him before bed.

That seemed to calm the blond down, and he went back to studying until Yosuke’s father, who had just gotten home, came up to call the boys down for dinner.  He also looked happy to see Yu there, especially when he saw that all three boys were indeed focused on studying, and he complimented their work ethic as they headed downstairs for dinner.  Yosuke’s mom had really outdone herself and had a large spread with a lot of side dishes, and Yosuke muttered to Yu that she was trying to show off because he was here.

“Don’t think I didn’t hear that,” his mom said, narrowing her eyes at him.  “I just want to make sure you boys have enough food to tide you over while studying tonight.”

“Besides, you’re growing boys,” Yosuke’s dad said proudly.  As they all sat down to eat, Yosuke’s dad began chatting with Yu about the NHK drama they both watched, while Teddie and his mom discussed an idol show they watched together.  Yosuke, meanwhile, quietly ate and listened in on both conversations, surprised by how well Yu and Teddie fit in with his family.  It had always been a family of three his whole life, but instead of feeling jealous about his parents’ attention being taken off him, he found he actually liked it.  It gave him more room to breathe and be himself.  And the fact that his parents liked Yu so much actually made him really happy, even if he tried to hide it behind his sardonic remarks.

Once dinner was over, Teddie volunteered to help with the dishes, which allowed Yu and Yosuke to head back upstairs to study some more.  Yosuke’s dad stopped him on his way up, however, and asked, “Everything alright, son?  You were very quiet during dinner.”  Yosuke blinked before turning, surprised at his father’s concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he shrugged.

“I just want to make sure you’re certain,” he asked.  “I don’t want you to feel left out.  You know we love you, right?”

Yosuke immediately blushed and felt his chest warm.  “Yeah, I know.  I was actually thinking that it felt nice, eating with such a large group today.  It still felt like family,” he admitted.  His dad smiled in relief before squeezing his shoulder.

“Good. Now study hard – I’m glad Yu is such a good influence on you,” he said, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.  His father chuckled as he escaped upstairs.  Yu and Yosuke studied hard for several more hours, finally stopping once 9pm hit so Yosuke’s dad could drive Yu to the Dojima’s so he wouldn’t have to walk so late.  Yosuke then played a game with Teddie as promised before bed, listening in amusement as the blond talked about how cool it was to have sensei over and how he wished he would visit more often.  Yosuke couldn’t help but silently agree, even if he would never admit it aloud.

The next day, Yu isn’t able to study with him due to having a tutoring session that night, but he did give Yosuke another list to use that night, forcing him to promise to do everything on the list and to not slack off.  Yosuke tried to grumble about it, but Yu had a point and knew that his attention may wane without him there to keep him in check.  ‘I can’t let my partner down,’ Yosuke thought, resigning himself to another night of study.  At least tonight Teddie was working and wouldn’t be a distraction, which made focusing a little easier.

Yosuke did have to work the following night, which put a definite limit to how much studying he could do, while Thursday was Yu’s other tutoring session which left Yosuke having to keep himself motivated yet again.  Yu did keep checking up on him throughout the night, seeing where he was at on the list and sending him encouraging messages, which definitely made it easier.  Then on Friday, Chie proposed a group study session, figuring getting help from both Yukiko and Yu may be beneficial.

“What do you guys think?” she asked.

“As long as we can hold it at my house.  I have to look after Nanako today,” Yu replied.

“That’s your cousin right?” Yukiko asked.  “Yosuke said she was very cute.  I am looking forward to meeting her!”

Yosuke immediately flushed as Yu glanced at him.  “Well, Nanako-chan is cute,” he defended, and Yu chuckled in reply.

“I will have to stop at Junes on the way home to pick up stuff for dinner,” Yu warned.

“That’ll give us time to go home first and change into something comfortable,” Chie replied. 

Thus, after going home and getting ready first, everyone converged onto the Dojima household, Nanako at first a bit shy toward Chie and Yukiko and hiding behind Yu and Yosuke until she warmed up to them. Once she did, however, they quickly saw why Yosuke was so charmed by her, and everyone agreed that she was a very sweet girl.  They all converged into the living room, spreading out their materials while Yu and Yukiko led the studying session, and while they worked Nanako diligently worked on her own homework and reading material, nestled between where Yu and Yosuke were sitting.  Yu and Yukiko made a really good team, and Yosuke and Chie definitely benefited from their shared knowledge.  It was a pretty lively session too, since having both Chie and Yosuke around tended to lead to excitable moments. 

Yu had to take a break in order to make everyone dinner, while Yukiko continued to lead the other two through the material.  Chie and Yukiko were excited to finally try Yu’s cooking after hearing Yosuke talk about it all the time and Chie had shyly requested he make his curry after the debacle they had during camping trip.  She was hoping she and Yukiko could pick up a few pointers.  Once Yu was finished making the curry, everyone sat down to eat, Yukiko and Chie immediately surprised by how good it was.  “Ok, so Yosuke wasn’t exaggerating,” Chie said, frowning down at her bowl of curry.  “How the heck are you such a good cook?”

“My mom would hire you in a heartbeat,” Yukiko agreed, taking another bite of her curry.

“Big bro is the best, isn’t he?” Nanako said with a warm smile, and the other three smiled at her as Yu gently patted her on the head.

Nanako washed dishes for them afterward, and even though Yosuke offered to help, Nanako insisted that he study to make her big bro proud.  Yosuke flushed, unable to argue with that logic, while Yukiko and Chie giggled and Yu looked bemused.  They studied until it started to get dark outside, the girls gathering up their stuff to head out, and Yosuke looking at the remaining list of things to study that weekend with some apprehension.  “You’ve got this Yosuke.  You’ve been working really hard,” Yu encouraged him as he began to pack up.

“I sure hope so,” Yosuke said with a sigh.

“Yosuke will do well – I’m sure of it!” Nanako said enthusiastically, and he couldn’t help but smile gratefully at her.

“Well, if you say so Nanako-chan, then I’m sure to do well,” Yosuke said, feigning confidence with his most natural smile that Yu’s cousin seemed to easily draw out.  It always warmed Yu’s heart how patient and kind Yosuke was with Nanako, and how he seemed to get along with her so easily.  It’s why the little girl always seemed to look forward to when Yosuke would visit. 

‘If only those people in town could see him now,’ Yu thought, bitter about how his best friend was often treated.  He could tell that Chie and Yukiko had also noticed, and that the two of them had been gentler toward him in Nanako’s presence as well.  Yosuke really did make a great older brother figure, and it was really starting to show in his improved relationship with Teddie.  ‘He just needed a little practice,’ Yu decided.

Once exams rolled around, everyone was too focused on prepping and studying to really hang out.  However, both Yosuke and Chie felt a lot more confident this time than they had in the past, and once it was finally the Saturday after exams were over, Yosuke stayed up late throwing together something to express his appreciation for Yu’s help.  They were going to hang out at Yosuke’s to celebrate exams being over on the next day, and Yosuke figured he could give it to Yu then.  It was a cd filled with some music he thought Yu would like, since the gray haired boy would often ask him questions about some of the songs Yosuke would play while they hung out together.  He had been making a mental list of the ones Yu seemed to express more interest in and threw those songs together along with a few others that were pretty similar.  ‘Hopefully he’ll like it,’ Yosuke thought, writing on the cd with a sharpie before heading to bed.

Yu showed up right after lunch and was pretty touched when Yosuke gave him the gift, insisting he play it right away while they played video games.  He looked impressed by each song, and he did pick out some of the songs he remembered hearing before, happy that Yosuke had remembered that he liked them.  Teddie was out with Yosuke’s parents shopping in Okina, and while he had pouted when he found out Yu was coming over, he had agreed to let the boys hang out alone, saying something dumb about them “scoring” while they were alone.  Yosuke really needed to sit down and have a talk with Teddie about some of the things he said, because he had a feeling he was just repeating slang he had picked up without really understanding it.  Because the rest of his family was out, they were able to chill without any interruptions, which made for a relaxing afternoon.

Yu left right around dinnertime, needing to go home and cook for his cousin and uncle, which left Yosuke having to fend for himself since his family would take awhile coming back from Okina.  He ordered delivery from Aiya’s and then settled in for the evening with some Shounen Jump.  Right around the time that his parents and Teddie finally returned, he realized that it had started to rain outside, which suddenly reminded him of the last time he had watched the midnight channel.  He felt his curiosity pique, and he suddenly wondered what he would see if he stayed up to watch.  He felt a little nervous, since before he had seen a shadowy figure that looked like Rise with Yu; he was hoping that since Yu had that talk with Rise, that had changed by now.

Right at midnight, the tv flickered on, immediately revealing Yu who was thankfully on his own again.  Yosuke felt relief for a moment, until he realized that something seemed to be off about his partner on the screen.  Yu was hunched over, with his head resting on his knees, and Yosuke could tell by the tension in his shoulders that he seemed upset about something.  Without thinking, Yosuke flicked his phone open and sent Yu a text, asking, “R u alright?”

He was surprised when moments later Yu replied back, “Yeah, why?”

Yosuke bit his lip, because after the first time they had both seen each other on the midnight channel, he hadn’t mentioned to Yu that he had kept watching it occasionally.  ‘Maybe he’ll think it’s weird,’ he thought, but he wanted to make sure that Yu was actually ok.  So, he picked up his phone and called, stomach in knots until Yu picked up. 

“Why’d you ask if I was alright?” Yu asked curiously.  His voice sounded even as always, and Yosuke began to have slight doubts.  The tv had also flickered off, so now that he wasn’t seeing the Yu on the midnight channel, he felt less sure.

“Well.  This is going to sound weird.  But I sometimes still watch the Midnight Channel.  And I still see you on it.  And tonight you looked kind of sad,” Yosuke confessed.

Yu was silent for several moments, and Yosuke began to feel even more nervous.  That is until he let out a deep sigh.  “I didn’t know you were still watching that,” he said.  “I was actually just thinking that I only have two semesters left in Inaba before I have to return to the city.”  Yosuke’s heart dropped, for while he vaguely remembered Yu mentioning that when he first joined the class, he had completely forgotten about it.  Yu was only going to be in Inaba for the one year while his parents were out working and wouldn’t be around for their third year.  Yosuke felt his heart ache at the knowledge and tried to come up with something to say while Yu continued.  “So, I was feeling kind of melancholy,” he admitted.  “I didn’t have friends back home like I do here – I moved around too much for that.”

“I…kind of forgot you were moving,” Yosuke admitted.  “So now I’m also feeling kind of depressed.”

Yu chuckled bitterly.  “Sorry about that,” he said.

“No, nothing to be sorry about.  Listen, I’ll find a way to cheer you up.  While you’re here, I’ll make sure you appreciate the time we have together until you move.  And even then, I’ll still call you and text you every day if I have to!” Yosuke grew more enthusiastic the more he spoke, and Yu couldn’t help but allow himself feel a bit better.

“Are you sure?” he asked.  “Maybe by then you’ll have a girlfriend and have no time for a guy like me.”

“I’ll always have time for you partner,” Yosuke immediately quipped, and Yu felt himself relax.  “It’s you I have to worry about there though,” he teased.

“I’ll always have time for you too,” Yu assured him.  They then said good night before hanging up, Yosuke feeling slightly better about cheering Yu up, but upset now that he realized the time they had together was limited. 

‘I’ll have to make good on that promise,’ he decided.


	15. Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu starts acting weird and Yosuke takes it upon himself to figure out why.

The next day at school, Yu ended up entering the classroom right as the bell was ringing, which meant Yosuke didn’t get to chat with him before class started as usual.  He thought it was kind of odd, especially with their conversation the night before weighing on his mind after seeing Yu on the midnight channel.  Yosuke didn’t think too much on it, however, since Yu had been a bit late occasionally before; maybe he had to take care of something for Nanako-chan that morning.  It wasn’t until lunchtime that Yosuke began to realize that there was something actually off about his friend.

They were unable to eat on the rooftop since it was still raining outside, so they ended up eating in the classroom with Chie and Yukiko.  Instead of joining in on the conversation with the girls like normal, Yu picked at his lunch the whole break and didn’t say much of anything at all.  Yosuke kept trying to pull Yu into the conversation, growing obviously concerned by Yu’s lack of response, but the gray haired boy seemed strangely distracted and not as focused on the conversation as he usually was.  Even when he sat back to let the others talk, he was usually a great listener and followed along.  And then when Yosuke tried to pull him back to talk after class, he ran off saying he had to go tutor that afternoon, leaving Yosuke with a strange pit in his stomach. 

He thought after their conversation last night Yu had been in a better mood, but apparently he was wrong.  ‘How am I supposed to cheer him up if he won’t talk to me?’ Yosuke pondered.  It felt kind of off since Yu had been honest with him last night, and he began to wonder if maybe something else was going on too.  After a night of no texting and a few more days of the odd behavior from his partner who still refused to talk, Yosuke was ready to investigate. 

He decided to start with someone else that Yu may have confided in instead.  It kind of stung, thinking that Yu may be going to other people other than him, but at his point he was willing to swallow his pride and get some answers since he wasn’t getting any from the source.  Thus, instead of joining Yu for another quiet lunch as they both awkwardly pushed around their food in their containers, he excused himself saying he had plans before rushing to grab bread and a drink and making his way to the first year floor.  While Yu also hung out with Daisuke and Kou in the other second year class, Yosuke wasn’t as familiar with them and wasn’t sure if they would really spill much if Yu had told him anything.  Kanji on the other hand?  Yosuke would have better luck with him. 

Yosuke awkwardly entered the classroom and made his way over to where Kanji, Teddie, Rise, and Naoto were all sitting and enjoying their lunch.  Teddie was the first to spot him, immediately drawing attention to him by calling out his name.  “Did Yosuke come to see me because he missed me?” Teddie asked excitedly, and Yosuke lightly grimaced while glancing around at the stares immediately directed their way.

“Not today Ted.  I came to see Kanji-kun actually,” he hissed, while motioning for Teddie to lower his voice.  Kanji looked surprised, while Naoto and Rise listened intently.  The blond frowned at him. 

“You never come to see me,” he pouted, and Yosuke sighed.  He wanted to bring up that they saw enough of each other at home, but knew that would only hurt Teddie’s feelings.

“Are you saying you want to eat lunch together sometimes?” he asked, trying his best not to grimace.  Teddie immediately beamed at him.

“I’d like that beary much!” he said, and Yosuke let out a sigh.

“Sure, Ted, I’m sure we can have lunch together every once in awhile,” he promised.  He then turned to look at Kanji.  “I hate to bother you but…you able to talk?”

Kanji looked a bit flustered and looked over at Rise and Naoto who both immediately nodded their heads.  “I guess…” he said unsurely.

“I just have a few questions,” Yosuke said, motioning Kanji to follow him.  Kanji stood up, grabbing his lunch and following Yosuke down the hall and outside.  He kept walking until he found a quiet area under a tree that didn’t have any other students surrounding them – it was pretty empty outside due to the heat.  Both boys sat down, Kanji sprawling out his lanky frame while Yosuke kept shifting with nervous energy.

“So, what’d you have to ask, sempai?” Kanji grunted, and Yosuke let out a slow breath.

“Yu been acting weird to you?” he finally asked, and Kanji tilted his head slightly.

“Haven’t really talked to sempai lately,” he admitted.  “But yeah, he’s been quieter than usual.”  Kanji was silent for several moments before bluntly asking, “Shouldn’t you know what’s up before any of us do?”

Yosuke frowned, kicking his feet against the ground.  “He won’t talk to me,” he said gruffly, and Kanji’s brows rose.  “So I thought…maybe if he isn’t talking to me, he talked to someone else instead.”

Kanji tilted his head thoughtfully while Yosuke took a sip of his drink.  “Maybe you did something to piss him off,” he shrugged, and Yosuke sighed.

“I thought about that, but the last time we hung out I gave him a CD that he seemed to like and we kind of had a heart to heart that I thought actually went well?  Like, I don’t think whatever’s going on is actually what we talked about,” he sighed, cheeks slightly flushed at his confession.  “You can’t think of anything it might be?”

“Hmmmm,” Kanji mused for a few moments, taking a bite of his food in the process.  “Maybe…you should talk to Rise.”

Yosuke immediately felt his chest tighten.  “Rise-chan?  Why?” he asked, his voice sounding slightly strangled.  He barely knew her, honestly, and it would feel weird talking to her after the whole fiasco with Yu.  Especially since it had been pretty one sided on his part – he doubted Rise even knew he had been jealous. 

“I dunno.  It just seems like she might know,” Kanji said cryptically, rubbing his hand through his hair.  “I can’t say much ‘cuz it’s none of my business.”

Yosuke let out a frustrated huff.  “Ok, I’ll talk to her,” he finally replied.  “Can…you ask her if she’ll talk to me after school?”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Kanji said.  He then lightly punched Yosuke on the arm who grimaced before rubbing at it – lightly for Kanji was not light enough in his opinion.  “Good luck, sempai,” Kanji said, and Yosuke bit his lip.  Here Kanji was helping him out and all he was doing was whining at him.

“Seriously, thanks dude,” he said, giving Kanji his crooked smile.  “I owe you one big time!”

“Next time we hang out you can just buy us some more topsicles,” Kanji said, waving away the praise.

“Or maybe I can bump it up to steak skewers,” Yosuke said cheerfully, and Kanji grinned before shaking his head.

“You really do like sempai, don’t you,” he said, almost to himself, and Yosuke gave him a quizzical look.

“Yeah, he’s my best friend,” he replied, and Kanji shook his head slightly.

“Don’t worry about it sempai.  I’ll tell Rise to meet you at the lockers after school,” he said, and Yosuke blushed slightly.

“Dude, that makes it sound like I’m trying to confess or something!” he complained.

“What you want to meet her at the roof?” Kanji asked, and Yosuke let out a strangled sound.

“That’s even worse,” he grumbled.  “The shoe locker will be fine…”

To his relief, after school that day Rise was in fact waiting for him at his shoe locker.  She was nervously twirling her hair, and when her eyes met his Yosuke immediately began to feel a bit shy.  While he had determined his jealous feelings had been in fact over Rise taking his friend away, he had a crush on her as Risette for quite awhile, so it definitely felt weird having her wait for him like that even if he had asked her to.  “You wanted to speak to me, Yosuke-sempai?” Rise asked, and Yosuke nodded.

“Yeah, I have some questions and Kanji-kun said you may be able to help me out,” he replied, trying his best to keep his voice steady.

“Hmmm,” Rise said, eyeing him thoughtfully.  “Kanji-kun said it was over how weird sempai’s been acting, right?”

Yosuke blushed slightly.  “Yeah.  I’m trying to figure out what it is since he won’t talk to me.”

“Walk me home?” Rise asked, finally letting go of her hair and giving Yosuke a charming grin.  Yosuke blushed slightly, not really understanding the sudden change in her demeanor, and really not knowing how to handle her attention.  The whole time she had been fixated on Yu she had basically ignored him after all.  Rise linked her arm through Yosuke’s before dragging him off, pulling the confused brunet with her as she made her way out the door.

“Hey, Rise-chan, slow down,” Yosuke said, and Rise unlinked their arms so she could turn and face him with a wink.

“You’re going to have to keep up if you want to hear my theory about what’s bothering Yu-sempai,” she said in a teasing lilt.  “Also, I kind of want to make him jealous after he turned me down, so I’d appreciate it if you played along.”

She was looking back behind them, and Yosuke turned slightly to see Yu staring at the two of them in surprise.  Before he could say anything, Rise linked arms with him again before trouncing off and dragging him along.  “Why would Yu be jealous?” Yosuke asked in confusion, and Rise just giggled.

“Don’t worry too much about it sempai,” she said as they walked along, passing by the school gates.  “Now, to answer your question.  When Yu-sempai talked to me a few weeks ago, telling me that he couldn’t return my feelings, he tried to make it all super formal and polite,” she explained.  She was very matter of fact which surprised Yosuke, because he knew it must have hurt.  But, she was an idol and must have learned to mask her feelings pretty well by this point.  “I told him if he was going to turn me down, the least he could do was be honest, and that I had a feeling he had someone that he liked.” 

Rise suddenly looked a little less cheerful, and Yosuke finally began to see the crack in her façade.  “So, because sempai’s a gentleman at heart, he caved and admitted he does like someone.”

Yosuke immediately halted in surprise, slightly tugging back Rise as a result who turned to look at him carefully.  “You’re saying Yu…likes someone?” he squeaked.

“Yes, he does,” she replied, unhooking their arms so she could study him carefully, her arms crossed.  “And I think it’s his feelings for this person that has him acting all weird lately.”

“Who is it?” Yosuke immediately blurted out, and Rise let out a sigh.

“Yu-sempai wouldn’t tell me,” she admitted.  “I have my theory, but it’s not my place to say.”

Yosuke was dumbfounded.  His best friend liked someone and hadn’t let him know, let alone tell him who it was.  That would be so easy to come clean about, so why was he instead refusing to tell Yosuke anything?  “Why wouldn’t he tell me?” he asked to himself, feeling upset.

Rise sighed.  “Why don’t you ask him that?” she asked curiously, and Yosuke frowned slightly. 

“Maybe I should,” he said.  “Let me finish walking you home first though.”

Rise smiled at that, looking at him thoughtfully.  “You know, you’re really not that bad, Yosuke-sempai,” she teased as they continued their walk, and he frowned at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, while she giggled.

“You’re kind of a gentleman too,” she replied, causing Yosuke to blush.

“I’m nothing like Yu is,” he shrugged.  “He’s on a whole other level…”

Rise nodded.  “Yeah, he really is,” she said honestly.  “But, there’s a reason why he chose you as his best friend too,” she pointed out.  “Maybe think about that a bit?”

Yosuke looked even more confused after that, and Rise inwardly sighed at how hopeless they both were.  But, they finished up their walk home with more friendly banter as Yosuke began to loosen up, realizing that Rise was pretty easygoing once he got over his initial nervousness.  After dropping her off, he then made his way over to Yu’s, wishing that he had thought to bring his bike instead of leaving it at the school.  Oh well, he’d have to pick it up on his way home later.  He walked up to the Dojima’s door, inwardly bracing himself before giving it a knock, hoping that Yu was actually home that day and not out with his other friends or tutoring.  He of course had been so intent on coming straight over that he hadn’t thought to call or text.

To his relief, the door was opened moments later by the gray haired boy who gave him a startled look.  “Yosuke?” he asked.  “I thought you went somewhere with Rise-san?”

“She just wanted me to walk her home,” Yosuke shrugged.  “I had a few things to ask her and she said some nonsense about wanting to make you jealous.”  Yu immediately blushed, and Yosuke wondered at his reaction.  “Can I come in?” he finally asked, deciding not to bring it up in lieu of more important things to discuss.

“Oh, yeah,” Yu said, stepping aside so Yosuke could walk in and take off his shoes.  He then followed Yu to the living room where he and Nanako had been watching television together.

“Hello Yosuke-kun!” Nanako said cheerfully, and Yosuke waved at her.

“Hey Nanako-chan.  Is it ok if I borrow your big bro for a few minutes?” he asked.  “I want to talk to him about something.”

“Of course!  Will you be staying for dinner?” she asked hopefully, and Yosuke felt his heart melt. 

“I might be able to swing that,” he grinned, while inwardly thinking ‘depending on how this conversation goes.’

Yu seemed to be thinking much the same, and had a nervous tension to his frame as he led Yosuke to his room.  When they stepped inside, Yu immediately sat on his computer chair while Yosuke plopped on the couch.  Both boys stared at each other for several moments.  “So, what did you ask Rise-san?” Yu asked.

“Well, I first actually talked to Kanji-kun,” Yosuke confessed.  Yu looked surprised.  “You see, you wouldn’t tell me whatever is going on with you, so I thought maybe you had talked to someone else about it.”  Yosuke couldn’t hide the slightly accusing lilt to his tone, and Yu winced.

“Yosuke…” he started, but Yosuke shook his head.

“Kanji-kun said he didn’t know what was going on but that Rise-chan probably did.  So I asked if he could ask her to talk to me.  Then I guess she saw you and made some comment about making you jealous – which I totally don’t understand,” Yosuke continued, noticing Yu’s blush again about the jealously bit, “and told me that she thinks you’re acting weird because you like someone.”

Yu immediately sucked in his breath, and Yosuke suddenly knew he was right on the money.  “She said that when you let her down, you confessed that you liked someone but wouldn’t say who.”

Yu was quiet for a few moments before saying softly, “I did say that.”

“Is that why you’ve been acting so weird?” Yosuke asked, and Yu pursed his lips, not meeting his eyes.  After a moment or so he slowly nodded.  “Why wouldn’t you tell me?” Yosuke said, sounding annoyed.  “I seriously thought I had done something to piss you off.”

“I’m sorry,” Yu immediately apologized.  “That wasn’t my intention.”

“Is this because I was jealous about Rise?” Yosuke immediately asked.  “I mean, if you have a crush on a girl I’m not going to immediately become jealous again.  I’m not that much of a jerk.”

Yu chuckled slightly, although he had a pained look on his face.  Yosuke didn’t know how to read his reaction at all.  “That’s not it, Yosuke.”

“Then, why?  Why couldn’t you tell me you had a crush or tell me who it was?” Yosuke asked in confusion.  “Isn’t that what friends – especially best friends – do?”

Yu sighed, leaning back in his chair.  “It’s…complicated.”

Yosuke crossed his arms, leveling Yu a stare.  “The least you could have done was say hey I’m having some emotional turmoil but I’ll let you know if you can do anything to help,” he pointed out with a frown.  “Instead of practically avoiding talking to me.”

Yu swiftly nodded.  “You’re right.  I should have handled it differently.  I didn’t realize I was upsetting you so much – I am sorry about that,” he winced.  “But it’s not something I feel comfortable talking about quite yet.  I assure you, when I am, you’ll be the first to know.”  Yosuke felt slightly more relieved at the answer, but couldn’t help but press a little further.

“So, are you going to go back to talking to me again?” he asked, unable to hide the hopeful tone in his voice, and Yu chuckled, looking like a slight burden had been removed from his shoulders.

“Of course.  I missed you, partner,” he grinned, and Yosuke blushed.

“Well, I missed you too,” he muttered, and Yu smiled wider.  “I guess we should go down to see Nanako-chan though.  Don’t want her to start getting worried or anything.”

“So you’ll stay for dinner?” Yu asked, and Yosuke nodded.

“If you’re cooking, heck yeah!”  Both boys headed back downstairs, soon joining Nanako as she watched Phoenix Ranger Featherman R, Yu finding it cute when Yosuke got just as excited about the episode as his cousin did.  They spent a nice evening together, feeling better after their talk, even if some things were still unresolved.  Yosuke felt secure with the knowledge that eventually Yu would come to him about it, and he decided to let the topic drop for now.


	16. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu and Yosuke go to the summer festival and the school trip~

Not long after their talk, it was finally summer break.  Yu didn’t have his tutoring sessions, but he did keep getting invited out to hang out with his various friends, while Yosuke had extra hours at work since he wasn’t in school.  He was a little jealous, hearing about Yu’s various outings with his friends, but he realized it was a bit ridiculous since he didn’t have time to hang out himself.  The only real day they had planned that Yosuke had specifically taken off work for was the summer festival.  They had both agreed to bring along Nanako and Teddie who were both incredibly excited about the event.  Nanako hadn’t been since her mom passed away and so couldn’t really remember the festival, while Teddie had never been to anything like it before and couldn’t wait to check it out. 

He was so excited, in fact, that he forced Yosuke to go yukata shopping with him, even though Yosuke had pointed out multiple times that guys their age usually didn’t dress in yukata for the festival; it was definitely more of a girly thing.  Teddie was so enthusiastic about it that Yosuke eventually caved and took the blond to Tatsumi’s Textiles in order to get a yukata made for him.  Kanji’s mom was excited to see them, especially when she realized they were friends of her son, and she happily told them childhood stories about him while helping Teddie pick out a fabric that he liked.  Yosuke felt kind of bad for his kohai and knew if he had been home he probably would have been incredibly embarrassed; he hoped Teddie didn’t tell him about it later.

Yosuke had stopped paying attention to the chatter between Teddie and Kanji’s mom, too focused on messaging Yu who was out in Okina with Kou and Daisuke in order to see a movie, when he was suddenly interrupted by a tug on his arm.  He looked up to see Teddie proudly holding a stylish looking cloth that had white and blue stripes of varying length that almost looked like brush strokes with how they had been dyed.  It was more modern and Yosuke knew it would look good with Teddie’s blue eyes and blond hair – he was actually pretty impressed since most of the stuff at Tatsumi’s tended to be more traditional.  “That looks pretty cool Ted,” Yosuke grinned at him.

“Now we have to pick out something for you!” Teddie said excitedly, and Tatsumi-san turned her eyes to him expectantly.

“Wait…me?” Yosuke asked, his voice sounding slightly strangled.

“I think it’s really sweet you’re wearing a yukata with this nice young man to the festival,” she said brightly.  “It’s really thoughtful of you to share our culture with a guest to our country.”

Yosuke opened and shut his mouth a few times, feeling anxiety build in his stomach at the pressure being thrust upon him.  Guys their age just did not wear yukata – it wasn’t cool.  But with Kanji’s mom staring at him expectantly, he felt like he couldn’t say no.  “Uuuh what would you recommend?” he finally said after a few moments, grimacing slightly when Teddie beamed at him.  He could already imagine what the other kids at school might say if they saw him. 

He began answering questions from Kanji’s mom about the colors he liked and his style preferences – he carefully steered more conservative than he usually was in his normal clothes – while noticing again how excited Teddie seemed that he was actually going along with it.  He knew Teddie had carefully set him up – the blond was surprisingly cunning when he wanted something – but he couldn’t help but feel at least a little at ease at how happy it made him.  If something this simple made the guy this happy, then maybe it would be worth it after all. 

Which is why when Yosuke and Teddie arrived at the Dojima’s on the afternoon of the festival to pick up Yu and Nanako, Yosuke was wearing a dark gray yukata with small orange stripes running through it vertically.  His messy bangs were clipped back away from his face, and Teddie had cooed at him that he looked “beary handsome” as they left.  Yosuke still felt slightly red from the compliment.  Teddie of course looked stunning in his yukata, and Yosuke could already imagine all of the attention the blond would attract at the festival; hopefully, that meant less eyes on him.  Yosuke took a deep breath and knocked on the door, feeling odd in the breezy fabric but admitting it felt more comfortable in the humid summer air than his normal clothes, and he was surprised when Dojima was the one to open the door.

“Oh, hey Hanamura.  Here to pick up Yu and Nanako?” he asked, before waving them inside.  “He’s finishing up with tying up her obi – she was having trouble getting it on by herself.”  To Yosuke’s surprise, Dojima was clutching a camera in his hand, and he looked more relaxed than normal.  Moments later, Yu and Nanako came downstairs, and Teddie and Yosuke immediately complimented her.

“Nanako-chan looks beary cute!” Teddie said, twirling her around as she giggled happily.  Nanako was wearing a pink and white checkered yukata with a pink obi and she did look incredibly adorable.

“Yeah, Nanako-chan, you look very pretty today,” Yosuke said, and Nanako beamed at him.

“You look handsome Yosuke-kun,” she said, and Yosuke immediately blushed.  “And you too Teddie!”

“Thank you Nanako!” Teddie beamed.  Dojima then shooed him away so he could get a quick picture of Nanako all dressed up, while Yosuke shyly turned to look at Yu who had been quiet so far.  That’s when he realized that his best friend was staring at him intently.

“I look dumb, don’t I,” Yosuke said, frowning slightly.  “Teddie just insisted that I dress up with him and…”

“You look great,” Yu interrupted him, and Yosuke felt his breath catch in his throat.  “I just…it was unexpected.”  Yu looked away, and Yosuke noticed that his cheeks seemed a bit flushed.  Yu, of course, was dressed in his usual polo and pants combination, which made Yosuke feel even more out of place.  His mind drifted for a moment, suddenly wondering what it would look like if Yu had been in a yukata instead, before he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Dojima ushered Yu over to get a picture of the cousins together, before getting one more with Yosuke and Teddie in it too.  “Let me know if you boys want a copy,” he grunted, and Yosuke already knew his mom would kill him if he didn’t comply.  He had specifically snuck out with Teddie purposefully in order to avoid her taking a picture of them, but somehow he felt better about the idea if it included Yu and Nanako too.

“Yeah, I’m sure my mom would appreciate it.  Thank you Dojima-san,” Yosuke said politely, and the man nodded. 

“It’s nice of you boys to take Nanako out with you.  Don’t let her eat too many sweets,” he said, before handing Yu some spending money.  “And don’t stay out too late!”

“We’ll be back after the fireworks,” Yu promised, and they all waved before making their way into town to where the stalls were set up.  Teddie and Nanako walked ahead, the blond boy chatting happily while Yu’s cousin listened attentively, while Yosuke and Yu followed behind them, listening in companionable silence.  Yu kept stealing glances at Yosuke when he thought the brunet wasn’t looking, while Yosuke pretended not to notice.  He was still worried he looked stupid in the yukata, but Yu had complimented him, hadn’t he?

Once they arrived, they were immediately dragged to the game booths, Teddie wanting to try all of them with Nanako who also seemed excited at the prospect.  Yosuke had to teach Teddie how to play the goldfish scoop game – which was a disaster since neither boy was patient enough for it – while Yu helped Nanako with one of the cork shooting games so she could win a prize.  They next all tried their hand at one of the lottery games, each of them picking a string and winning a little toy as a result.  Yu got a paper doll that he immediately gave to Nanako, while Nanako and Teddie both got pinwheels that they had fun spinning afterward.  Yosuke got a little plastic model robot, that he shyly gave Yu who gave him a surprised look.  “I noticed you had a few of these in your room,” Yosuke explained.  “I figured you’d get more out of it than me.”

Yu smiled at it, before carefully wrapping it up and placing it in his pocket.  “I’m surprised you noticed that.  I sometimes build models for fun,” he explained.  “I’ll cherish this.”

“It’s just a plastic model,” Yosuke muttered, and Yu grinned at him.  Especially because while Yosuke was trying to hide it, he did look pleased that Yu liked it.

They were heading to the food stalls to get something for dinner, when they stopped at a vendor selling masks and other novelty items.  Teddie immediately began trying some on for Nanako, who giggled at the silly sounds he made wearing them, and Yosuke shook his head fondly as he watched.  He was therefore startled when he suddenly felt something plop onto his head.  He realized it was a headband and he reached up to feel at it, looking confused when he realized there was something fuzzy on top of it.  He turned his head to see Yu looking at him with a wide grin, and didn’t have time to react as his partner snapped a picture of him.

“What the hell Yu?” he whined, pulling the headband off and blanching when he realized that it had cat ears on it.  “Seriously dude?”

Yu shrugged nonchalantly.  “You looked cute,” he said.

“You better delete that,” Yosuke said, grabbing for Yu’s phone who immediately held it out of reach.  “I promise I won’t show anyone, but I am not deleting this,” he said stubbornly.

“That’s totally not fair!” Yosuke complained.

“Just pick something for me,” Yu countered, and Yosuke let out a huff.  He immediately looked around the shop, trying to find the ugliest mask he could, and immediately zoned in on a red oni mask.  He grabbed it before handing it to Yu and motioning for him to put it on.  Yu looked at it and shook his head before complying and looking at Yosuke, crossing his arms into a pose.

“You are seriously the weirdest dude,” Yosuke said, before snapping a picture of his own.  “At least show me how it came out,” he said.

“As long as you don’t try to delete it,” Yu warned, pulling his phone back out and taking off the mask.

He held his screen in front of Yosuke’s face, who studied it carefully.  To his surprise, he didn’t look as bad as he thought he would, for Yu had snapped the picture when his eyes were slightly wide out of puzzlement and he had chosen a color for the ears that matched his yukata.  He let out a breath before mumbling, “I guess you can keep it,” while Yu grinned widely at him.

Yosuke then showed Yu his picture, and Yu couldn’t help but chuckle at it.  “I like it,” he said proudly, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

They then gathered up Nanako and Teddie before heading to the food stalls, immediately getting yakisoba and takoyaki for everyone to share.  It was finally starting to get dark as it grew closer to evening, and they knew that the fireworks would be starting soon.  So, after getting some shaved ice for dessert, they made their way toward the riverbank where the firework show would be held, finding themselves a spot to sit where they would have a good view.  Nanako and Teddie lay down on the grass in front of them, while Yu and Yosuke huddled on the top of the embankment, sitting close together and chatting about what they had been up to that summer.  Their conversation immediately ended when the first boom of a firework sounded, and everyone’s eyes shot up toward the sky, watching in silent awe as the burst of red exploded against the night sky.  Nanako gasped and clapped her hands happily, while Teddie was quiet for a change as he stared up at the display in wonder.

Yosuke, meanwhile, found his attention drawn back to his partner, slightly tilting his head so he could see his expression as it was lit up by the bright flashes overhead.  Yu looked completely relaxed and at peace as he gazed at the sky, and the colors from the fireworks gave his face a warm glow against the dark.  Yosuke bit his lip, unable to tear his eyes away, as he felt an odd ache in his chest.  Yu looked dazzling in the light of the fireworks, and Yosuke suddenly wished he could pull his phone out and take a picture without Yu questioning him about it.  But, he knew how weird that would be and how odd the urge was to want to do that, and he felt a slight pit of dread in his stomach.  This reminded him of the crush he had on Saki before he had realized how the third year felt about him.  That caused Yosuke to tear his gaze away, staring down at the ground while his hands clenched into fists where they rested on the ground.  His heart began pounding as realization hit, and he quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts before forcefully staring back up at the fireworks display.  There was no way he was forming a crush on Narukami Yu.

Immediately after the firework display, the four of them headed back home as promised, Teddie and Nanako happily talking about their adventures at the festival and how fun it was, while Yu and Yosuke silently followed them.  Yu kept glancing over at Yosuke, concern knotting his brow at how strangely silent his friend was, before he hesitantly asked, “Everything ok?”

‘No,’ Yosuke thought, but he didn’t want to worry his friend, especially when it wasn’t something he could talk about with him.  “Yeah, I’m fine.  Why, what’s up?” he asked, flashing Yu a laid back grin.

Yu frowned slightly, but he didn’t push it.  “You’re just kind of quiet.”

“Ah, yeah.  Kind of tired – we really did a lot today, didn’t we?”  Yosuke then drew Yu into his normal aimless chatter, noticing the gray haired boy relax as they slipped into conversation, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved as well.  He had time to think about what was going on and try to come to terms with it, and he felt pretty secure in his friendship with Yu as well.  As long as he acted normal, he wouldn’t mess things up.

The rest of summer flew by, and soon they were back at school and preparing for yet another school trip.  This one was taking them out of Inaba and to a school in another city called Gekkoukan High School as a sort of school swap.  The students were excited for a trip out of Inaba, but complained that it was just to visit another school instead of exploring a city like other high schools usually did.  “I can’t believe we’re going on a trip to see a school,” Yosuke bitterly protested as they got on the train.  “And it’s some fancy school too – way to rub it in our faces.”

“Well, at least we get to explore in the afternoon after class gets out,” Yu reasoned.  “Rise-san used to perform there for some of her shows, and said she had a place she wanted to show us too.”

“Rise-chan’s inviting us out?” Yosuke asked curiously, suddenly showing interest.  If it was a place she went to during her idol days, it would probably be interesting.

Yu looked less enthused.  “She was pretty mysterious about it so I’m a little worried,” he admitted, and Youske laughed.

“Worried she’s going to make you jealous again?” he teased, and Yu shook his head.

“More worried about the kind of place she’ll bring us to,” he admitted. 

They would only be visiting the school in the afternoon since they would be travelling the whole morning to get there and learned there was a special assembly set up by the student council in order to invite them into the school.  They would then be split up into different groups in order to tour, with Yu and Yosuke teaming up with Chie and Yukiko, and Teddie, Rise, Naoto, and Kanji forming a group with the first years.  After school ended in the afternoon, they would be free to roam about until curfew, where a role call would be performed before everyone got ready for bed at the hotel.  The idea of an overnight stay was a bit exciting for Yosuke, especially since they allowed the rooms to be mixed by grades which meant he and Yu would be sharing with Kanji and Teddie.  He already had plans for the night and had brought games and snacks for them to play.

Before that, though, they had to make it through the long train ride, and Yu and Yosuke spent the trip chatting with Yukiko and Chie.  Most of the ride consisted of Yosuke and Chie coming up with elaborate theories about what they would encounter at the elite school while Yukiko giggled at them and Yu looked unimpressed.  Once they arrived, they were shuffled onto the campus, amazed by how modern it looked compared to Yasogami.  The school was founded by the Kirijo group which had a lot of money and had obviously invested it well.  The students couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated as they walked around, even though for the most part the students at Gekkou High were being pretty accommodating.  After hearing a speech by the student council president and checking out what all the school had to offer, they spent the rest of the afternoon in conversation groups with other students their grade discussing the differences in their schools.  Inaba definitely seemed to be behind curriculum wise since Gekkou was an accelerated school, but the other students were fascinated by the lifestyle in Inaba and seemed just as interested as the students from Yasogami.

Although it ended up being more interesting than initially anticipated, the students were definitely relieved when the final bell rung and they were let loose into the city for the rest of the afternoon.  Yosuke, Yu, Chie, and Yukiko met up with Rise, Kanji, Teddie, and Naoto in front of the school so they could follow Rise who was excited to show them around the city.  She wouldn’t be taking them to the secret destination until after dinner, and Yosuke noticed that Naoto also seemed a bit cautious about it like Yu was.  Chie and Teddie both seemed excited, while Yukiko and Kanji didn’t seem to care either way.  Yosuke still felt curious excitement about it and was sure it couldn’t be as bad as Yu was anticipating.

They all had fun exploring the city, chatting as they went with Rise truly in her element as she showed them around.  It was nice seeing her bubbly and in charge – a stark contrast to the girl they had seen at the tofu shop when she had first arrived.  Naoto, who was usually pretty quiet the few times Yosuke had seen her, was also a bit more talkative that day, chatting with the other first years about her observations.  She even engaged Yosuke into a conversation about the case she was working on when he curiously asked about it, seeming pleased when he was able to keep up with her theories and throw in a few ideas of his own.  Teddie kept things lively by trying to sidle up next to each of the girls who had to refute his advances, while Yosuke tried his best to intervene and stop the exchange student from embarrassing him too much.  And the girls seemed to get along pretty well, having hung out together on several occasions, while the guys all got along at this point too.  It felt nice for Yosuke, realizing that he had actually established a friend group in the town that was actually closer than the one he’d had in the city.

After dinner at a local family restaurant that Rise recommended, a place that she would often grab take out from when she was in town because it reminded her of home, they then headed toward her secret destination.  Upon arriving, they all stared at what as obviously a local club in shock, Yosuke immediately realizing that Yu and Naoto had been right to show some concern.  “Uuuuh, Rise-chan, we’re a bit underaged, don’t you think?” Chie pointed out, and Rise waved her hand.

“It’s alright, the owner knows me,” she grinned before confidently bringing them inside.  The others followed her unsurely, definitely feeling like if any of the teachers knew where they were at they’d get into serious trouble.

Rise walked right up to the bartender, whispering something to him and causing him to disappear into the back before bringing out a man who immediately hugged Rise and told her how happy he was to see her again.  They quickly caught up before he brought all of them back to a private VIP room and he disappeared to grab them drinks.  “Ok, we definitely cannot drink,” Yukiko commented, and Rise again looked nonchalant.

“They’re going to be virgin – nonalcoholic,” she explained.  “This place is too high class to let that sort of thing happen.  But I figured I’d pull some strings and let you experience something a little risqué since you’d never get the chance in Inaba.”

Yu let out a sigh while Naoto had a slight frown on her face as she looked around.  The VIP area was a lounge with a table and a large couch for them all to squeeze into.  Soon, the owner came back with drinks and snacks for them to eat, promising to check on them periodically if there was anything they needed.  They then all got settled in, hesitantly sipping at their drinks and trying some of the bar snacks while looking nervously at one another. 

After a few minutes, though, everyone seemed to begin to relax and soon they began to fall back into conversation with one another.  Yu seemed to be the only one to notice that the conversation felt…a bit off.  The girls kept giggling unnecessarily, and Teddie seemed even wilder and louder than usual.  Yosuke kept casually brushing against him, which was really throwing Yu off who felt each slight touch like a jolt of electricity.  He was often hyperaware of Yosuke, but this was becoming maddening.  Even Kanji was acting a little bold, and he kept stealing glances at Naoto in a way that was a lot more open than usual.

Yu peered down at his drink thoughtfully.  Rise had said they were nonalcoholic, and he couldn’t taste anything off about them, but he was beginning to have doubts.  Was it possible for people to be simply drunk off the atmosphere?  Then things really grew heated when Rise suggested they play a game.  “So, there’s this game a lot of people are playing right now called the king’s game,” she said.

“Ooooh, I’ve heard of it,” Chie said excitedly.  “You like draw sticks and the king gets to order everyone around!”

Rise nodded.  “That’s the gist of it,” she said.  “So, everyone basically grabs a stick and it will either have a number or a red mark on it.  If you get the red mark you’re the king,” she explained.  “Then the king makes a command directed at one of the numbers.”

“Oh this sounds kind of like truth or dare, but with a twist since it’s more random,” Yukiko said thoughtfully.  “I don’t mind trying – it sounds interesting.”

“Yeah, I’m down!” Chie said with an excited giggle.  Everyone else enthusiastically agreed except Yu and Naoto who still seemed a bit unsure.  They didn’t outright reject the idea though, and soon everyone began preparing as Rise got some chopsticks to write on.  In the first round, Teddie ended up being the king, and he gleefully ordered number two to give him a smooch…which ended up being a very disgruntled looking Kanji who tried to protest until the girls talked him into it.  He ended up placing the briefest of kisses on Teddie’s hand who looked a bit chagrined that number two didn’t end up as one of the girls.  Yu got to be king in round two, and he ordered number five to regale them with a song that fortunately turned out to be Rise who ended up performing one of her songs as Risette for them.  Next it was Chie who ordered number three to perform a kung fu move, which ended up being Naoto who did it while blushing furiously.

Then they drew sticks again and it was finally Rise’s turn to be king.  “I think other than Teddie, the rest of you guys are kind of missing the point of this game,” she accused, while looking over at everyone with a devilish grin.  Yu immediately felt ice run through his veins as she looked directly at him.  He suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.

“I want number four to sit in Yu’s lap,” she announced, and the room immediately became quiet.  That meant when Yosuke’s choked gasp sounded, everyone immediately turned to look at him.

“You can’t be serious,” Yosuke complained, his voice high pitched.

“You know the rules Yosuke.  You have to follow the king’s command,” Chie said while prodding him in the side.  Yosuke smacked her hand away, his face brightly flushed in embarrassment.

“But…” he weakly protested.

“Sempai, be a man and just do it!” Kanji encouraged him, while Teddie, Yukiko, and Chie began chanting “be a man” in the background.  Yu was still staring at Rise who had a satisfied smirk on her face.  How had she possibly known which number Yosuke had?

Yosuke slowly got up, face still bright red, before turning to look at Yu who happened to be sitting at the end of the couch.  “I…I’m sorry partner,” he stuttered, and Yu stared back at him, sure his cheeks were slightly flushed as well.

“It’s ok,” he said, before lightly patting his lap in encouragement.  Yosuke glanced back at the others who stared in anticipation before sighing and turning around, gingerly sitting down and almost sliding off in the process since he was trying his best to limit his contact onto Yu’s lap.  That caused Yu to grip his waist and pull him against his chest, heart beating wildly as he barely managed to keep Yosuke from toppling over.  Yosuke stiffened as he was crushed against Yu’s chest, and Yu quickly realized that the brunet’s heart was racing as well, although he figured it was adrenaline from the near fall.  Yu was immediately overloaded by several things, mainly the citrusy smell of Yosuke’s cologne that he had never been able to smell as clearly as he did now, and how comfortable he felt with Yosuke’s warmth pressed against him.  To his surprise Yosuke had stilled instead of immediately climbing off, and when he curiously glanced at the brunet, he was intrigued by the expression on his face.  Yosuke’s eyes looked a bit hazy, and if Yu didn’t know any better, it almost looked as if Yosuke was enjoying it too.

Yosuke then slammed his eyes shut, and Yu felt him take a slight breath before he pulled himself away and slid back over to his seat, arms crossed as he refused to look at anyone else.  The others were whispering to each other excitedly and Yu frowned before quickly glancing at the time on his watch.  “We should probably head out,” he recommended.  “It’s almost time for curfew.”

The others sans Naoto and Yosuke groaned at their fun being cut short, but they soon gathered their things and got ready to head out.  Yosuke was quiet on the way back, which didn’t surprise Yu, and the three boys gave him his space when they finally arrived back at the hotel.  Yosuke tossed them some snacks and games he had brought along for the trip before silently climbing into the bed he was sharing with Yu, turning his back to everyone as he huddled under the covers.  Yu kept glancing over at him as he, Teddie, and Kanji quietly played a card game, but he didn’t want to upset Yosuke until he had calmed down and was ready to talk.  He felt pain twinge in his chest as he glanced at him yet again, realizing that maybe he had imagined things back in the club and that maybe Yosuke was really upset at their forced intimacy.  Maybe all of the slight touches and the expression on Yosuke’s face had been him feeling hopeful.

Yu sighed and turned his attention back to the game, his shoulders slumped, while in the bed Yosuke curled into himself, his mind racing.  The moment Yu had pulled him to his chest earlier, he had immediately become aware of several things.  The first that his crush was most certainly real.  The second that he really liked the feeling of Yu’s arms around him and suddenly wished they didn’t have an audience so he could find out if Yu felt the same way.  And the third that he really wasn’t sure if Yu felt the same way and it was now driving him crazy.  ‘Maybe…maybe this whole soulmates thing really is real,’ he thought to himself, thinking back to how soft Yu’s face had looked lit up by fireworks and how heady the smell of his soap and shampoo was when pressed into his chest.  Yu’s eyes had darkened when they glanced at him, and Yosuke had felt his heart race the moment he noticed it.  It had been why he had slammed his eyes shut before his brain shut off and he did something he may have later regretted. 

But, other than grabbing him in order to stop his fall, Yu hadn’t given him any indication he also liked Yosuke.  Rise had mentioned he had feelings for someone, but that could be anyone.  Yosuke didn’t want to assume it was him, even if it would make sense why Yu wouldn’t talk to him about it.  Yu had looked kind of flushed and Yosuke was pretty sure his heart was pounding too, but again he had grabbed Yosuke who was about to fall so it could have been from the adrenaline.  Plus, why would such a cool guy like someone like him anyway?  Yu deserved so much better.  But.  Yosuke sighed to himself, allowing his brain to express its wish.  Deep down, he hoped it was him after all.

A short while later, the other three wrapped up their game and got ready for bed.  Yosuke heard Kanji and Teddie climb into the bed across from them, before there was a click as Yu turned off the light.  He then climbed in next to Yosuke, carefully keeping an obvious distance between them as he settled in.  Yosuke felt his heart ache, before turning slightly to face Yu.  To his relief, Yu was actually turned toward him and gave him a curious quirk of his brow when he noticed him rotate.  “I’m so…” Yosuke began to whisper, but Yu immediately shook his head.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said calmly.  “I just hope I didn’t upset you.”

Yosuke shook his head as well, and Yu instantly felt relieved.  Instead of asking one of the questions currently racing through his head – whether Yu had felt uncomfortable, whether he had liked it – Yosuke instead murmured, “G’night, partner,” before sliding a bit closer toward him, staying just out of reach just in case but showing Yu that he wasn’t bothered by his presence.

Yu stared back at him in surprise, feeling touched by Yosuke’s thoughtfulness.  The brunet had noticed the distance he had created earlier after all.  He smiled slightly, moving his hand over a bit closer toward Yosuke, but stopping before he went too far.  “Good night, partner,” he replied back, and he watched Yosuke smile contently, eyes already slid shut.  Yu quietly watched the brunet’s breaths even out, and once he was sure he was asleep, he finally allowed his own eyes to fall shut.  He was beginning to think he may just have a chance after all, and he began brainstorming what he may do with that chance.


	17. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu doesn't show up to class and Yosuke is worried.

Several days later, Yosuke was sprawled out on his bed, arm slung across his forehead as he stared at his ceiling, mind racing.  He had kicked Teddie out of his room an hour ago, for he found the cheerful blond more annoying than usual in his irritated state and knew it wasn’t fair to take out his bad mood on him.  The past few days at school had been awkward as hell after the school trip.  Yosuke and Yu still talked and hung out during lunch, but their discussions had been stilted and Yu had been a bit distant like he had something on his mind.  Yosuke couldn’t blame him though – he had been preoccupied in thought himself and hadn’t been as chatty as usual.  All he could think about was his newfound feelings. 

After getting over his initial shock that he did in fact like his best friend – his _partner_ , Yosuke had started thinking back to his time back in the city when his friends had made homophobic jokes all the time.  It felt so distant to him now even though it had only been a little over a year, but he had suddenly woken up in the middle of the night in the hotel room with their words racing through his head.  Which meant he had spent the entire next day doubting himself and wondering if there was something wrong with him.  That is, until he had suddenly remembered that his old friends were kind of assholes and he couldn’t remember his parents ever using that kind of language at home.  They had always been more accepting of others and while he wasn’t sure how they’d react to their son having those kinds of feelings all of a sudden, he did feel better overall.

Which had led to the whole other issue of how Yu felt.  There were moments where Yosuke would read Yu’s nervousness or think back to moments or looks he had received from the other boy and thought maybe it’s possible he returned his feelings.  But then he would remember times he had been insensitive or how everyone treated him at school and wonder how could he possibly have a chance?  Yosuke had completely exhausted himself on such thoughts for the past two days, and frankly he was sick of thinking about it at this point.  If only he could have one sure sign from the poker faced boy so he could decide what to do about the matter.

Yosuke’s tumultuous thoughts were interrupted by a sudden downpour outside, and he blinked before sitting up, wincing when a sudden tingling sensation made its way down his arm since it had fallen asleep.  He held it gingerly as the feeling slowly worked its way back through his arm as it regained circulation, while carefully peering outside.  It was raining.  Which meant…  Yosuke checked his phone.  In about 10 minutes the midnight channel should pop on.  Maybe, just maybe, he could get a little hint or a sign that would help him out.

Sure enough, right at midnight the strange channel popped on, although it unveiled something Yosuke had not expected at all.  Yu was sprawled out on the floor, eyes closed as if he was sleep, although his brows were furrowed with anguish.  His breathing seemed labored and his face looked feverish.  Either Yu was in a lot of pain, or he was in some other way not feeling well.  Yosuke immediately panicked and picked up his phone, frowning when Yu didn’t answer.  He sent a series of text messages asking if he was alright, but go no response.  Yosuke half wanted to run to the Dojima’s to check on Yu, but knew that it would be reckless with the rain pouring outside, and that the Yu that he saw on the screen wasn’t always an exact replica of the one in real life.  Maybe it was showing his inner turmoil and he had his phone on silent or something.  He was sure Dojima wouldn’t appreciate him banging on the door at 12:15am.  Yosuke would just wait to see Yu at school the next day.

Or so he thought.  Yosuke got to school early and waited impatiently for his partner to arrive, tapping his fingers on his desk while he stared at the door, frowning each time one of his classmates walked in without Yu’s signature gray hair.  ‘Where is he?’ he thought, letting out a sigh when Chie rushed into the door and threw her stuff down at her desk moments before the bell rang.

“Where’s Yu?” she asked curiously as she sat down.

“He didn’t come in,” Yukiko replied.  “And Yosuke has been looking like a nervous wreck all morning.”  She had also arrived early and had been quietly watching Yosuke while she waited for Chie to get there.

Their conversation was cut off by their teacher walking in, already prepared with a long lecture about the vices of their generation.  Yosuke tuned him out as he sent more text messages to Yu, frowning when he didn’t get a reply again.  He half had a mind to bolt to the Dojima’s at lunch, but figured he should probably be taking notes for the other young man just in case.  During lunch he picked at his food, half listening to Chie and Yukiko speculate on what was up with Yu as they also tried to assuage his fears it would probably end up being nothing that bad.  Yosuke, however, couldn’t get Yu’s tormented expression out of his head, which meant nothing they said was getting through to him.  As soon as the final bell rang, Yosuke who had already packed his bag, dashed out the door, weaving between students expertly as he made his way toward his locker.  After shoving on his shoes, he dashed over to his bike, unlocking the chain and hopping on before racing his way over to the Dojima’s house. 

He arrived in record time, panting as he dropped his bike next to their house and headed over to the front door.  He knocked before bending over slightly, trying to catch his breath, straightening only when the door carefully opened.  Yosuke felt slightly relieved when Nanako peeked out at him, although his heart fell slightly at her worried expression.  “Is Yu home?” Yosuke asked, and she nodded.

“I’m not supposed to open the door when dad or big bro aren’t with me, but I saw it was you Yosuke-kun and thought you were here to see my big bro,” Nanako replied.

“So, Yu isn’t home?” Yosuke asked in confusion.

“Big bro is sleeping.  He isn’t feeling well,” Nanako explained, looking sad, and Yosuke frowned.  That’s what he had seen last night and why Yu wouldn’t answer.

“Well, I’m here to help out Nanako-chan,” Yosuke said, pulling out his grin in order to encourage her.  It seemed to do the trick because she shyly smiled back.

“I hoped you’d come Yosuke-kun,” she said bashfully, stepping back to let him inside.  Yosuke slid off his shoes before following Nanako up to Yu’s room.  Sure enough, Yu was lying in bed, flushed cheeks indicating his fever albeit with pale, clammy skin on the rest of his body.  “Dad stayed with him while I was at school today but had to go in once I got home,” Nanako whispered.  “He left big bro some medicine on his desk.”

Yosuke walked over and picked it up, noting that it was some aspirin to help reduce the fever, before leveling a steady eye at Yu.  He had never really had to take care of a sick person before, other than assisting his healthy parent when the other one was sick, but knew from that and his mom taking care of him some of the basics.  “Nanako-chan, do you have any of those cold compress pads in the house?” Yosuke asked, and she shook her head.  “Can you get me a bowl of water and a small towel then?”

Nanako nodded and headed out of the room, while Yosuke approached the bed.  He took in Yu’s labored breathing and pale expression and frowned, before turning his attention to his phone that was lying on the bed next to him.  He saw a few missed calls and text messages on the screen and sighed, before picking it up and setting it on Yu’s desk.  It did appear to be on silent, but Yu probably needed the rest.  Yosuke would be sure to text everyone to let them know how Yu was feeling later.  His musings were startled by the sound of his phone ringing and he jumped before looking guiltily at Yu who was starting to stir.  Yosuke checked the caller id on his screen, grimacing when he saw his dad’s name flash and realizing he was supposed to be at work right now.  He quickly flipped open the phone, wincing when his dad asked, “Where are you?” with a panicked voice.

“I’m at Yu’s.  He didn’t show up at school today and he’s sick.  His uncle had to go into work so he’s only got Nanako-chan to take care of him,” Yosuke explained, and his dad sighed wearily.

“You couldn’t think to let me know?” he asked.  “I was worried when you didn’t show up.  That’s not like you.  You know to call, son.”  Yosuke flinched, for his dad had his serious voice on which meant he was mad.

“I’m sorry,” Yosuke said quietly, and his dad sighed.

“Listen, take care of your friend for now.  I’ll call in someone to take your shift this time.  Don’t let it happen again – at least call me first, got it?” he asked sternly, and Yosuke nodded before remembering his dad couldn’t see him.

“Yes, sir,” he replied and they both hung up.

Yu was staring at him blearily, eyes detailing his level of exhaustion.  “Yosuke, why are you here?  Shouldn’t you be at school?” he asked, sounding worried.  “Who was that?”

Yosuke couldn’t help but chuckle slightly.  Yu was sick, yet somehow found the energy to worry about him.  “Dude, school let out half an hour ago.  That was just my dad chewing me out for not going into work.  I was worried about you so I came here instead.”

Yu shook his head, trying to push his way up from the pillows and failing.  “No, you’ve got to go to work.  I’m fine, don’t worry about me…”

Nanako returned at that moment, bowl and towel in hand, and rushed over upon seeing Yu awake.  “Big bro, how are you feeling?” she asked, looking at him in concern.

Yu looked torn, and Yosuke knew he liked being nothing but honest with Nanako.  Which meant he couldn’t lie like he wanted to with Yosuke.  “Maybe a little better after my nap,” he told her gently.  “But I know I will get much better with you here.”

“Yosuke-kun is here to help too!” Nanako smiled at him.

Yu glanced up at Yosuke, a slight frown on his face, while Yosuke smiled victoriously.  “You heard her partner,” he grinned, before taking the bowl from Nanako and showing her how to dip the towel in before wringing the excess water out.  He then placed it on Yu’s forehead, whose eyes fluttered shut in relief at the cooling sensation.  “Besides, my dad gave me the go ahead once he realized you weren’t feeling well.”

Yu sighed before opening his eyes and looking up at Yosuke.  “I am glad you’re here,” he finally said honestly, and Yosuke’s grin widened.  Yu faintly smiled back before coughing slightly.

“Nanako-chan, stay with your big bro while I go make him some tea, ok?” Yosuke asked.  His mom often made him green tea with a little honey when he was feeling unwell and he felt like it may help sooth Yu’s throat a little.  Nanako nodded before pulling up Yu’s desk chair to sit and chat with him while Yosuke went downstairs.  He had been over enough times to know where their tea and electric kettle were and quickly got started boiling water.  He then made a quick phone call to his mom explaining what was going on and jotting down detailed instructions on how to make rice porridge, hoping that he could pull it off.  He wanted to do everything he could for his best friend.

Once the electric kettle went off, Yosuke began steeping the tea before looking for the honey, finally finding it hidden behind some of the other spices in one of the cabinets.  He then poured Yu a cup of tea and stirred in some honey before carefully making his way upstairs.  Yu looked happy to see him when he stepped back in the room, although Yosuke couldn’t tell if it was because of the tea or his actual presence, and he happily took a sip when Yosuke handed him the cup.  “You brewed this perfectly,” he said in amazement, and Yosuke looked a bit bashful.

“My mom really likes tea so she taught me how,” he shrugged.  “I got used to making it when she doesn’t feel well.”

“I like tea as well,” Yu replied.

“Me too!” Nanako added cheerfully, and Yosuke chuckled. 

“Would you like me to pour you a cup as well Nanako-chan?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“I can pour one Yosuke-kun.  Big bro said now that you’re here I need to start on my homework.  Is that alright?” she asked, looking worried.

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea Nanako-chan.  In a few minutes I’ll get started on dinner, ok?” Yosuke asked, and she nodded before heading outside.

Yu looked surprised by his dinner comment and looked at him in confusion.  “You can cook?” he asked bluntly, and Yosuke couldn’t help but laugh.

“I don’t cook much but all I have to do is boil water and dump in some rice,” Yosuke shrugged.  “Mom told me how to do it in your rice cooker and even I know how to operate one of those.”

“Oh, you’re making porridge,” Yu commented.

“Yeah, she said I should add a little ginger since you’re not feeling great.  That sound alright?” Yosuke asked, and Yu nodded.  “For Nanako-chan and I, I’ll also scramble some eggs.  Dad let me do that for mom on mother’s day like every year so it should be edible at least.”

Yu merely smiled at him, staring at him with a warm expression that caused Yosuke’s heart to skip a beat.  “Why are you staring at me like that?” Yosuke asked self-consciously.

Yu coughed again before replying, “It’s just...nice.  You being here and not just taking care of me, but of Nanako too.  I just…appreciate it.”

Yosuke scratched the back of his head, looking away shyly which caused his eyes to fall upon that bottle of pills again.  “Oh yeah, your uncle left you some advil,” he said, shaking two out of the bottle and handing them to Yu.  “This should help with your fever.”

Yu popped them into his mouth and downed them with a sip of tea before setting it on the side table next to him and laying back in bed.  “I think I’m going to rest a bit longer while you cook,” he said tiredly, and Yosuke took off the towel which was no longer cool and pressed his hand against Yu’s damp forehead.  He was definitely burning up.

“Probably a good idea.  I’ll get you a glass of water too,” Yosuke said.  He rewet the towel to cool it before placing it on Yu’s forehead and going to get him a glass of water.  Nanako had situated herself in the living room to do her homework, and Yosuke ended up chatting quietly with her while he worked on their dinner.  He carefully followed his mother’s instructions, reminding himself again that it was simple to make and that he shouldn’t be able to screw it up.  Once everything was set up in the rice cooker, Yosuke rummaged through the fridge and pulled out what he’d need for the scrambled eggs and toast for dinner.

“Do you like scrambled eggs, Nanako-chan?” Yosuke asked and she beamed excitedly at him.

“I do!  Big bro sometimes helps me make them,” she said proudly.

“Well they won’t taste as good as his but I have to admit they’re not bad either,” Yosuke said, smiling at Nanako’s excited expression.  Yosuke soon had the eggs prepared and seasoned like he always did at home, along with a piece of toast for Nanako and two for himself.  He was sure his mom would be surprised to hear about him preparing a meal for a change, after all of her nagging about him needing to know how to cook. 

“When you go off to college and I’m not around, you need to rely on something other than convenience store food,” she had scolded him, and Yosuke let out a sigh.  Maybe he should have Yu teach him a few recipes after all.

Just as he and Nanako finished their meal, Yosuke delighted that she seemed to like it, the rice porridge was ready in the rice cooker, and Yosuke tasted it to make sure it was ok, relieved that it was the right consistency if just a bit bland (which, if he was honest, it was rice porridge after all), before doling out a small bowl for him and Nanako and bringing another bowl upstairs for Yu.  When he reached Yu’s room, he knocked lightly before stepping inside, smiling slightly when Yu’s eyes blinked open at him.  He already looked a little better from earlier, and Yosuke figured the aspirin was kicking in finally.  “I brought you dinner,” Yosuke said.  “It’s…kind of bland but it’s edible at least.”

Yu sat up in anticipation and waved him over, before commenting, “I’m sure it’ll taste great.  It’s my first dish I’m getting to try from you after all.”  Yosuke blushed furiously as Yu plucked the bowl from his hands along with the spoon.  He quickly took a bite, looking thoughtful as he tasted it.  “This is actually quite good Yosuke.  You got the consistency perfectly, especially considering you haven’t made this before.  And ginger’s a good choice when someone isn’t feeling well.”  Yu quickly took another bite, and Yosuke found himself feeling embarrassed at the compliment yet again.

“I’m sure yours is better,” he said, and Yu shook his head.

“I’d take something made by you any day,” he said warmly, and Yosuke felt that flutter in his chest again.

“I was actually thinking.  Maybe…you can show me a few recipes sometime?” he asked nervously, and Yu looked up at him in surprise.  “Especially your curry recipe.  It’s…really good,” he said lamely, kicking himself for sounding idiotic.

“You…really want to share that with me?” Yu asked, and Yosuke couldn’t tell if he was blushing from the fever or something else.

“Well, yeah.  I love your food and it’s something you’re passionate about.  I mean you listen to me ramble about music all the time – shouldn’t you get to share something with me too?” Yosuke asked earnestly. 

Yu smiled at him.  “I’d like that,” he admitted.  He then looked down at Yosuke’s bag that he had absentmindedly dropped on the ground when he had followed Nanako in the room earlier.  It was half open so Yu could see some of the contents inside.  “Did you take notes?” he asked in surprise.

“Well…I didn’t know what was going on with you since you wouldn’t answer my calls or texts,” Yosuke said.  Yu looked chagrined.  “But I figured you’d probably need some so I actually stuck it out at school for you today.  I…can’t speak to the quality but…it’s gotta be better than nothing, right?”

“That was really thoughtful of you, Yosuke,” Yu said.  “Can you hand me my phone?  I should probably let everyone know I’m ok.”

Yosuke nodded before handing it to him, fingers tingling slightly where Yu’s brushed his.  He clutched his hand to his chest unconsciously, not realizing when Yu’s eyes were drawn to the motion.  He averted his eyes and turned them to his phone, checking his messages with one hand while eating his porridge with the other.  Nanako popped into the room briefly to hand Yosuke his bowl since he had left it downstairs, and cheerfully announced she would take care of dishes for him which Yosuke was grateful for.  “Thank you, Nanako-chan.”

“Thank you for dinner, Yosuke-kun.  It was delicious,” she said.  “And big bro’s already looking better since you came to visit too.”  She beamed at him before heading back downstairs, and Yosuke shook his head.

“I’m sure it’s just the advil,” he muttered, but Yu shook his head.

“It was definitely you,” he said, and Yosuke bit his lip slightly.  Yu had been laying it on thick with the compliments that day and Yosuke didn’t know what to make of it.  “Can you hand me some of those notes so I can read through them?”

“Oh, sure.  I mean, I wrote them for you so you can have them,” Yosuke shrugged.

“I’ll just copy them and return them to you,” Yu said, glancing through them and looking impressed.  It looked like Yosuke had been picking up on a few note taking techniques from their study sessions.  It just proved Yu’s theory that if Yosuke applied himself he’d do better in school.  “You did great on these notes by the way.”

“I had a good teacher,” Yosuke grinned.  He then checked his watch.  “Are you really feeling better?” he asked, glancing at Yu.  His eyes were clearer than earlier, and some color had already returned to his face as well.  He no longer appeared as cold or clammy although he still did look a bit flushed.

“I am.  I know it’s getting late,” Yu said.  “I don’t know when my uncle will get home so you should probably head out before it gets any later.”

“I hope you’re well enough to be at school tomorrow.  I missed you today,” Yosuke confessed.  “It’s…just no the same when you’re not around.”

“I’m sure I will,” Yu said.  “And I’ll make you something special for lunch,” he grinned, and Yosuke looked torn between groaning at the weird, seductive way he’d said it and feeling excited over what he would make.

“You’re just…so weird, partner,” he finally said.  “But, I am looking forward to it, so make sure you show up.”

Yu nodded, taking a sip of his now cold tea before picking up Yosuke’s notes again.  Yosuke gathered up his bag and waved before heading downstairs to say goodbye to Nanako and head outside.  Once he left, Yu set down his notes before looking around the room, now filled with reminders of Yosuke’s presence.  His empty bowl of rice porridge, the glass of water and tea, the bowl of water and the towel that Yu took off his forehead, it no longer necessary with his fever going down.  The notes spread across his bed and the other bowl that Yosuke had eaten from and absentmindedly left behind.  He knew Nanako would be up in a few minutes to gather the dishes, and so his friend’s usual thoughtlessness didn’t bother him.  In fact, it was just another reminder of the friendly brunet.  Yu had honestly started feeling better the moment Yosuke’s ringtone had interrupted his sleep and he had opened his eyes to the other boy in the room.  His attentiveness and getting to eat his food for the first time was just an added bonus.  Yu had definitely fallen hard for the brunet, but his actions that afternoon had only cemented why.  Yosuke was thoughtful and caring, even if he had a concerning habit of putting himself down.  Which is probably why he had been laying on the compliments that night too.  Plus, his fever kind of melted away some of his usual inhibitions, allowing him to be more honest than usual.  And Yosuke hadn’t seemed to mind.  In fact, he seemed to like it.  Yu leaned back against his pillows, making a silent vow to himself.  The culture festival would be coming in a few weeks.  He’d make his move then.


	18. Movie Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu throws a surprise party for Nanako's birthday and later invites Yosuke to the movies with him and Nanako. Yosuke invites Teddie along too.

The next day, Yu was well enough to return to school, and he spent all morning fielding questions from his friends about what happened the day before.  He told Chie and Yukiko the full story about Yosuke coming to visit him and nursing him back to health, and both girls immediately turned to stare at Yosuke who blushed furiously and tried to downplay his help.  Yu wasn’t having it though and kept insisting that he only got better because his partner came to see him.  At lunch when they shared the fried chicken and pickles that Yu had gotten up early to prepare for them, Yosuke finally brought it up.  “What is up with you and the compliments lately?” he asked, taking a bite of chicken and sighing contentedly at the taste.  Even cold it was delicious.

“What do you mean?” Yu asked, taking a bite of chicken and following it up with a pickle.  He liked how the vinegar flavor cut through the grease. 

“I mean, all yesterday and this morning.  It’s not like I did anything special.  Anyone would bring notes to their friend when they’re sick.  And I just cooked you some bland rice porridge,” Yosuke shrugged.

Yu cocked his head slightly.  “You skipped work and got in trouble with your dad to see me.  And the quality of your notes was excellent.  Not only did you take care of me, but you helped ease Nanako’s worry which I was incredibly grateful for,” he pointed out.  “You didn’t have to do all of that but you did.  I don’t think you realize how much it means to me, which is why I’m trying to make that clear to you.”

Yosuke blushed, pushing his rice around and unable to say anything in reply.  He wasn’t used to people complimenting him since most people tended to treat him like a joke.  Yu set down his container next to him and folded his hands in his lap.  “I honestly feel like I did recover faster because you came to visit.  Nanako is very helpful but she is still young.  My uncle did the best he could during the day but he did have to take care of some things at work.  Honestly, I’m not used to getting this much attention when I don’t feel well back home which may be why I was so touched.”

Yosuke blinked in surprise.  “You mean your parents don’t take care of you?” he asked bluntly, then winced when he realized how rude it sounded.

“They’re usually too busy.  It’s hard for them to get pulled away from work.  I was actually surprised my uncle did since it’s not something my parents would do often and he’s pretty busy too,” Yu admitted.

Yosuke’s heart sank a little.  He had his suspicions about Yu’s home life based on how little he talked about it, but it was discouraging to hear some of them had a solid foundation.  “Well, my parents always took care of me, especially my mom since she doesn’t work,” Yosuke admitted.  “I do remember once my dad had to stay with me because mom was off running errands and he was totally lost about what to do.  Mom kind of has a routine when either of us were sick and I kept telling him he was doing everything wrong,” Yosuke chuckled.  “I kind of just…followed what I remember her doing and figured it would help.”

Yu smiled warmly, for he always enjoyed hearing about Yosuke’s childhood and about his parents.  “That sounds nice,” he said.  “I can see your dad trying his best and getting frustrated when he wasn’t doing it as well as your mom.”

“Well…no one can do it as well as her,” Yosuke said confidently.  “But, yeah, I guess I take after my dad more than I realized.  I kind of felt like him yesterday, to be honest.”

“Then I’m sure your dad did a great job after all,” Yu replied smoothly, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.  Yu grinned before changing the subject.  “So, I was wondering if you could help me with something?” he asked, picking up some rice with his chopsticks and taking a quick bite while Yosuke looked at him curiously.

“You know I’m always willing to help out,” Yosuke replied.  “What do you need?”

“Nanako’s birthday is coming up, and my uncle and I want to take her to Junes to celebrate since she likes it so much.  I was wondering if you had any suggestions or would be able to join us.  I know that you guys don’t throw actual birthday parties, but…”

Yosuke interrupted him.  “Oh, I’m sure we could do something for our favorite customer,” he grinned.  “I can have the bakery make her a cake and we can decorate one of the tables in the food court for her.  I’ll have Teddie get that mascot outfit out he found online and he can give her and her friends balloons.”

“I think she’d enjoy that,” Yu agreed.

“We can order pizza or something from the food court too,” Yosuke reasoned.  “I can cover that and the drinks if you and your uncle can cover the cake and decorations.  What do you say?”

“You don’t have to do that,” Yu immediately objected.

“It can be my present to Nanako,” Yosuke argued.  “I think it’ll be a fun idea and I know my dad won’t mind.  I’ve told him how much Nanako likes Junes and I think he’s got a bit of a soft spot for her.”  He winked at Yu with a grin, and the gray haired boy felt his resolve melt.

“Alright, if you insist,” he said.  They both then returned to their lunches and chatted warmly until the bell rang to return to class.

Nanako’s birthday party was set for that weekend, and Yosuke was able to secure permission from his dad to hold it at the food court.  He thought it was a great idea and that it may inspire other people for celebration plans as well.  Yukiko and Chie showed up to help Yosuke and Yu decorate the table while Dojima stayed home with Nanako since the whole event was a surprise.  The birthday cake that Yosuke ordered was bear shaped and kind of reminded Yosuke of Teddie’s mascot costume.  Teddie was working on blowing up balloons with help from Naoto who was better at tying them, and he had his costume ready to go for the kids.  Yosuke ended up ordering drinks and pizza as promised, while Kanji made Nanako a stuffed animal as a birthday present from Yu and his friends.  Rise helped them select some music to play that she knew was popular with kids from her time in the industry.  Once Dojima arrived with Nanako, she was delighted by the setup, and excited when her friends from school started to show up with presents. 

Yu couldn’t help but smile warmly at how happy his cousin was, and felt touched by the fact all of his friends had pitched in to make it a success.  His uncle also looked very pleased, and he surprised Yu by going to each of his friends and personally thanking him for really making Nanako’s birthday special.  Yu later found out that he wrote Yosuke’s dad a personal letter, thanking him for allowing them to use Junes as Nanako’s birthday location and letting him know how much she loved the store.  Yosuke said his dad hung it in his office afterward and had been touched by the gesture. 

The next week at school, everyone was busy preparing for the upcoming cultural festival.  Their class had struggled to come up with something to do, throwing around ideas and immediately dismissing them as too cliché.  Yosuke eventually got frustrated and shouted out, “Why don’t we do a speed dating event then if you want to do something new?” while immediately regretting it, especially when a few people seemed to like the idea.  Fortunately, it was eventually overturned and they ended up deciding on a game show format similar to Family Feud where they would survey their classmates on different topics and compile a list of the most common responses as a quiz show one of the days of the festival.  It didn’t stop Chie from teasing Yosuke about his speed dating idea, and the brunet flushed in embarrassment as they bickered back and forth about it.  Yu had secretly liked the idea, immediately imagining how much fun he could have had teasing Yosuke and asking him questions as a potential date.  But, he already had very specific plans for the cultural festival, and knew he would have probably given away his intentions if they held such an event.  The game show idea seemed like it would perform better at the school as well.

At lunch that day, Yu and Yosuke were up on the roof as usual, when Yu asked out of the blue, “Do you have work this afternoon?”

“No, I’m actually free for a change.  Why?” Yosuke asked curiously.

“The Featherman movie came out recently, and I promised Nanako I’d take her to Okina to see it.  I was thinking of taking her there today.  I was wondering if you’d want to come since you seem to enjoy watching it with her whenever you’re over,” Yu replied, acting casual while internally feeling nervous.  It felt like asking Yosuke on a date, even if his cousin would be coming along.

“Heck yeah – I love Featherman,” Yosuke grinned.  “Although…don’t tell the others, ok?  They’d think I was lamer than they already do…”  He thought for a moment before asking, “Can I bring Teddie too?  He’s off today as well, and I think it’s something he’d like.  Plus, he and Nanako-chan seem to get along.”

Yu felt relief at Yosuke’s response.  “Of course,” he replied easily.  Yosuke texted Teddie who seemed excited at the outing, before letting his parents know their plans that afternoon as well.  Thus, after picking up Nanako after school, they made their way over to the train station in order to head over to Okina.  They would be watching the movie and getting dinner out there.  Nanako was pretty excited to have Yu’s friends with them, and she and Teddie ended up chatting happily with each other on the whole train ride.  Teddie was asking Nanako questions about Featherman since he hadn’t watched it growing up living in the States and had only gotten into it recently, while Nanako patiently answered them all, delighted to share her knowledge.  That left Yu and Yosuke to each other’s company, and as they sat next to each other on the train and chatted, Yu couldn’t help but notice each time Yosuke would lean against him or brush shoulders as he gestured while he spoke, feeling himself blush as he wondered what would happen if he just grabbed Yosuke’s hand and held it for a moment.  He shook his head, clearing his thoughts and reminding himself to be patient.  He wanted his confession to be special, after all.

Yosuke, meanwhile, secretly noticed Yu’s warm glances and couldn’t help but also feel like this was somehow like a date.  They hung out all the time of course, but back before Yosuke realized his feelings, he hadn’t read into things like he was doing now.  He had actually asked to bring Teddie along partially so Nanako could have some company and he’d have a chance to steal some of Yu’s attention, although it was also because he wanted the blond to enjoy some time in the city as well.  So far the idea seemed to be working, and he enjoyed the closeness that came from being crammed in the narrow seats on the train.  And if Yu’s shy glances and flushed cheeks were any indication, maybe Yosuke’s feelings weren’t as one sided as he feared.

Once they arrived at the movie theater, Yosuke bought everyone snacks, much to Yu’s frustration who insisted on splitting the costs, and they made their way to their seats, Yosuke sitting next to Yu, while Nanako sat on his other side with Teddie next to her.  Yosuke and Yu were sharing a popcorn, which meant there was a lot of “accidental” hand brushes as they both reached in to grab a handful, while Nanako had her own small popcorn and Teddie had some candy to eat.  They all quietly watched the movie, Teddie sometimes gasping loudly which caused Yosuke to shush at him a few times, and while Nanako and Teddie seemed enthralled, Yu who was less interested allowed himself to be distracted by the young man sitting next to him.  Yosuke was pretty entertained by the movie, and Yu couldn’t help but admire the different expressions that flickered across his face as he watched attentively.  He wasn’t focused to the point that he was totally oblivious to Yu’s eyes, however, and he would occasionally turn to look at him, causing Yu to immediately blush and return his eyes to the screen. 

Once the movie was over, they took Nanako and Teddie to a local fast food chain, and after ordering they sat around and discussed the movie.  Yu was honestly a little unclear on many of the plot points, but he was soon filled in by Nanako, Teddie, and Yosuke who talked excitedly about the parts of the movie they enjoyed most.  Yosuke kept looking over at him pointedly when Yu would stumble when Nanako or Teddie would ask hm something specific, and the gray haired boy couldn’t help but blush slightly at being caught.  On their train ride back, Yosuke brought it up to his embarrassment, casually commenting, “You seemed kind of distracted during the movie, partner.”

“I had my own entertainment sitting next to me,” Yu replied straightforwardly, and Yosuke immediately blushed.

“I can’t believe you sometimes,” he muttered under his breath, and Yu grinned victoriously.  “Did you enjoy the movie even a little?” Yosuke asked. 

“Oh, I enjoyed it quite a bit,” Yu grinned, and Yosuke’s eyes narrowed as he caught on to his friend’s innuendo.

“You know, if people saw the side to you that I see, I wonder if you’d be as popular as you are,” Yosuke huffed, and Yu laughed.

“As long as you’re still my partner, I don’t care,” he shrugged.  Yosuke looked out the window in order to hide his face, but Yu glanced at his reflection and his face softened at his cute, embarrassed expression.

“Of course we’re still partners.  Even if you’re weird,” Yosuke said softly, and Yu looked pleased.  He then glanced over at Nanako and Teddie who had fallen asleep on the seats across from theirs, smiling at the cute sight.

“You going to give Teddie a piggyback home?” he asked, nudging Yosuke lightly who turned to look at them.

“He’s way too heavy for that,” Yosuke rolled his eyes.  “I’ll wake him up when we get to the station.”  His eyes were soft as he looked at both of them sleeping peacefully, though, and Yu knew that he wanted to let Teddie rest for as long as he could.  Overall, it had been a very enjoyable afternoon, and Yu began to feel hopeful about the cultural festival which would be held the following week.


	19. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is finally time for the cultural festival and Yu has a surprise planned for Yosuke.

The rest of the week at school was busy as everyone prepared for the cultural festival.  Their class had already gathered all of their answers for their question pools and sorted them for the game.  They were currently working on the stage decoration for their designated time during day two.  Much to Yosuke’s horror, he had been picked by the class to host the game show, everyone agreeing that he had the most energy and personality for it, even though he kept trying to push it off onto someone else.  Yu could tell Yosuke was incredibly nervous about it and almost volunteered in his stead, but he also agreed that Yosuke would be a much better host than he was and thought it would give the brunet time to show off his charm.  Plus, it allowed him more time to prepare for what he had planned later that day as well.

Their classmates had pooled money together so Yosuke could pick out an outfit fit for hosting a gameshow, with Chie and Yukiko dragging him to the clothing section of Junes one day in order to try out clothes.  To Yu’s surprise, Yukiko had slyly texted him pictures from the outing, and Yu had especially liked the outfit the girls ended up picking out, a navy blue suit with an orange bowtie and accents that really popped on Yosuke.  He had secretly changed Yosuke’s contact photo to it and smiled every time his picture popped up when Yosuke called or sent him a text.  It was helping give him courage, and he secretly hoped Yosuke would still have it on that afternoon when he set his plans into action.

On the first day of the cultural festival, they all took shifts to pass out fliers for their game show the next day in order to drum up interest and get a few teams to sign up.  They would have a few rounds so multiple groups would have a chance to play, and while some students passed out fliers, others watched their table with the sign up sheet that doubled as an information booth for the event.  They were pretty excited when they did seem to garner some interest and soon had enough teams signed up for the next day.  Yu could tell Yosuke was incredibly anxious about it once he saw how many people had signed up, but he was trying to hide it behind nervous smiles and chatter.  When they finally got a break from working the table, Yu dragged Yosuke to check out some of the stalls in order to help him blow off steam and settle his nerves.

“You’re going to do great tomorrow,” Yu assured him, and Yosuke let out a sigh.

“I dunno.  I keep getting this feeling I’ll just end up being a disappointment like always,” he replied honestly, kicking his shoe into the dirt.

Yu frowned, before turning to place a reassuring hand on Yosuke’s shoulder.  “You’re never a disappointment,” he said evenly.  “Besides the whole class picked you as the best man for the job.  And I wholly agree.  You’ve got the best personality for the role out of anyone in our class.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yosuke asked curiously, and Yu grinned.

“You’re the friendliest and the most charming,” he admitted.  “I’ve seen you at work – you really know how to put people at ease and how to work a crowd.  I think everyone recognized that you’ve got a bit of showmanship too.  If someone like me was going up there, it would be incredibly dull,” he chuckled.

“I think you’d do great,” Yosuke said quietly.  “You wouldn’t stumble over your words or find a way to make a fool of yourself.”

“You won’t ether,” Yu said, lightly elbowing Yosuke in the arm.  Yosuke rubbed at it lightly, thinking over Yu’s words.

“You really think I’ll do a good job tomorrow?” he asked.

“I know you will,” Yu said confidently.  Yosuke seemed a little more assured, and soon slipped into his normal, cheerful attitude.  Yu allowed Yosuke to drag him around the festival, content to follow along with the brunet’s different whims and wishes to visit some of the cafes and food stands.  As long as Yosuke was excited and happy, Yu was too.

The next day, once it was time, their class made their way to the outdoor stage in order to set it up for the game show.  Yosuke had disappeared to go change and practice his lines for a few minutes in order to get rid of his pre-show jitters, and a few members of the student council showed up to help with the sound equipment.  They soon had a crowd forming outside the stage, and Yosuke showed up just as the first two teams arrived to compete.  Just has Yu had predicted, the show went off without a hitch, with Yosuke easily falling into the script the class had worked on for the show and throwing in a few ad libs here and there that really got the crowd going.  The best parts were his natural reactions to some of the responses the different contestants would have to the survey questions – they tended to really get the crowd laughing who appeared to be enjoying the show immensely.  The contestants were having fun as well, and their class had little prizes prepared for both the winning and losing teams to ensure everyone got to enjoy participating. 

About halfway through the second group’s competition, Yu upon seeing that Yosuke seemed relaxed and confident that things were going well, disappeared and headed up to the roof in order to prepare his surprise.  There was no one up there since everyone was downstairs and outside for the festival, so he had free rein to prepare.  He could hear the sound carrying from the stage below and smiled to himself as Yosuke’s banter elicited laughter from the crowd.  He didn’t let it distract him for too long, and he soon set about getting everything set up.  He cleaned up a bit before laying out a blanket and a picnic basket full of some of Yosuke’s favorite foods that he had noticed throughout the semester.  He also had Yosuke’s favorite soda chilling in a small cooler along with some tea for himself, and he plugged in a cd player with one of the many cds Yosuke had burned for him over the semester.  This particular one had some songs that he felt would be fitting, and thought Yosuke would enjoy listening to them.  ‘Hopefully things go well and I get the chance to play it,’ Yu thought, feeling incredibly nervous and hoping he had been reading all of the signs right.

He could tell that the third and final group was making their way to the stage for the last round of the competition, and he hurriedly stepped downstairs and ducked into the third year bathroom in order to change into his own suit – a silvery gray one with black accents that his parents had bought him for special occasions.  He felt there had never been one more fitting until today.  Yu made his way back to the rooftop and watched the remainder of the game show, waiting for it to officially be over before doing the final step in his plan – sending a text message to Yosuke asking him to meet him on the roof.  He watched the moment the brunet noticed the text message and saw him glance at his phone before looking curiously up at the rooftop and spotting Yu looking down at him.  Yosuke lifted a hand in greeting and Yu waved back, feeling his anxiety bubble in his chest.  There was no backing out now.

Down below, Yosuke began making his way into the school and up the stairs, his heart racing while his mind worked into overdrive.  He couldn’t fully tell since Yu had been too far away, but Yosuke was pretty sure he had changed his clothes for some reason.  It was also sneaky the way he had disappeared during the game show and suddenly showed up at _their_ spot like that – he obviously had something planned.  And with it being the cultural festival and Yu wanting to meet at a discreet location…Yosuke couldn’t help but let his thoughts race.  He also was already on an adrenaline high after the success of the game show and how much everyone seemed to like it.  He did surprisingly well on stage with everyone’s attention, and once he had started getting into the performance he had felt his anxiety slip away.  Maybe he did have a natural inclination to it like Yu said.

Yosuke shook his head, wanting to rein in his thoughts and refocus on the present.  Yu wanted to meet him, alone, on the roof.  And had been outright flirting with him the other day on the train.  Yosuke bit his lip slightly, stopping before the last set of stairs to the roof.  Was he ready for this?  What if it wasn’t what he was thinking – he’d feel like a total idiot.  Yosuke took a deep breath and slowly let it out.  Whatever happened, Yu was his best friend and he’d take whatever it was in stride.  And try not to be too disappointed if it wasn’t what he was suspecting.  Yosuke nodded to himself before making his way up the stairs, gingerly opening the door to the roof and stepping through, quietly shutting it behind him.  He gasped at what he saw in front of him, for Yu had laid out a little picnic on the roof, complete with a blue and red checkered blanket for them to sit on together.  He could also hear music playing, and immediately noted that it was one of the songs he had burned to a cd for Yu.  The young man in question was standing with his back turned to him, wearing a sharp gray suit with his hands in his pockets.  He slowly turned upon hearing Yosuke gasp, and gray eyes tentatively met curious brown.

“What’s with this set up?” Yosuke asked, blushing slightly.  “This looks like a…”

“Date?” Yu asked, also blushing and looking nervous.

Yosuke nodded, crossing his arms slightly as he surveyed the roof.  It looked like Yu had made some of his favorite dishes, and as the next song began to play, he realized it was indeed one of the cds he had burned.  He felt touched at this very thoughtful setup, and turned his eyes back to meet Yu’s.  “Yeah, a date,” he said, making sure he was clear.

Yu clenched his hands before releasing them.  “I asked you up here for a reason,” he said evenly, and Yosuke stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Yu’s arm.  The action appeared to relax his partner, and it was almost as if all of the tension had just drained out of him.

“I’m listening,” Yosuke said with an encouraging smile.

“I…I want to confess,” Yu said slowly, and Yosuke felt his heart stop.  His eyes remained trained on Yu’s face, which encouraged him to continue.  “For quite awhile I’ve felt like maybe that whole soulmates thing isn’t a lie.  I’ve…never felt about anyone else how I feel about you.  You’re the warmest person I’ve ever met, Yosuke, and every time we’re together…” he trailed off, looking down to find the right words. 

“You feel like things are just, _right_ , huh partner?” Yosuke provided helpfully, and Yu nodded.

“Yeah, you could say that,” he smiled softly.

“I…probably took longer to come around to the idea,” Yosuke admitted.  “But it’s the same for me too.  You encourage me to be my best self every day – more than anyone I’ve ever met.  And when I’m around you I just feel better about myself, you know?” Yosuke said.  “And I just want to make you feel the same way that you make me feel.”

“Same here,” Yu nodded.  “You make me so happy, Yosuke.”

Yosuke blushed furiously, before scratching the back of his head nervously.  “Yu,” he said quietly, causing the other boy to flush as well.  “You make me happy as well.  I mean, look at all of this – it’s incredible,” he pointed out.  Yu smiled bashfully. 

“You really like it?” he asked hopefully, and Yosuke grinned.

“I love it,” he said, before a nervous look crossed his face.  “And…” he trailed off, while Yu looked at him hopefully.  “I…love you, too,” he finally said, before suddenly finding himself enveloped by Yu’s warm embrace.

“I love you as well,” Yu replied, burying his head in Yosuke’s shoulder, who smiled while returning the hug.  They stood there for several moments, Yosuke’s music quietly playing in the background with the din from the festival downstairs a distant backdrop as well.  After several moments, they finally pulled away, staring each other in the eyes searchingly as they did so.  Yu carefully reached out with one hand and gently reached for Yosuke’s chin, lifting it slightly while Yosuke placed one hand at the back of his neck in anticipation. 

Yu dipped down and shyly brushed his lips against Yosuke’s, sighing at the slight tingling sensation from Yosuke’s lips and his warm breath which brushed his lips as he pulled away.  “Was…that ok?” Yu asked, and Yosuke nodded, eyes slightly lidded as he tugged Yu back down for another one.  Yu smiled against Yosuke’s lips, eyes closing as they lost themselves to each other’s touch.  This time when they pulled apart, Yu gently took Yosuke’s hand and brought him over to the blanket so they could sit down and enjoy the spread Yu had prepared.  Yosuke sat down closely next to them, and this time when they brushed against each other they let it linger for a moment, no longer having to hide their intentions.  They ended up feeding each other food, teasing each other over this and that, and just generally enjoying being with one another and finally having their feelings out in the open.  It was definitely freeing, and while they weren’t certain how to navigate sharing this change in their relationship with their friends and family, they were content for now to just enjoy what they had.  There was also the whole matter of Yu moving at the end of the school year to contend with, but that could be addressed later as well.  This afternoon, they were just going to take things as they were and explore their feelings for one another.


	20. The Best Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu is surprised by his friends on his birthday~

The next few days at school were surreal.  Although Yu knew that the confession on the rooftop had actually happened, and he could tell by the subtle glances and brushes from Yosuke when they hung out in the classroom or on the roof that things had actually changed between them, both boys were wary about openly showing their affection at the school.  Inaba was a small town after all, and they were sure a lot of the other students would be rather narrow minded.  Yosuke already had enough to deal with over the feud with the shopping district against Junes.  They hadn’t had a chance to hang out after school yet since either Yosuke was busy or Yu had to tutor or was otherwise dragged off by his friends; it seemed this week they had been more insistent than usual and he couldn’t quite figure out why.

Then he was woken up before school by something that took him completely by surprise.  His uncle shook him awake and handed him the cordless house phone, explaining, “It’s your parents,” while pressing the phone into his hands.  He stood awkwardly next to the bed while Yu blearily blinked his eyes, wondering if something was wrong.  His parents hardly ever called after all.

“Hello?” he spoke groggily into the phone, and he heard an amused chuckle from his mother.

“Hello, dear,” she replied.  “I guess we miscalculated and called too early.  We did want to reach you before you had to go to school.  Ready, honey?”

He heard his dad clear his voice before they both sang the happy birthday song, drawing out the Yu part and wishing him a great day.  They explained his birthday gift was on its way but had apparently gotten stuck in customs and would be a little delayed.  They hoped all was going well with him at school, letting him talk a little about events like the cultural festival and what was going on with his friends, before saying they couldn’t wait to see him again and hanging up.  It was late where they were and they needed to head to bed for work the next morning.  Yu wordlessly handed the phone back to his uncle, who eyed him quietly as he took it back.  “You want some coffee?” he finally asked, and Yu let out a small grin.

“Thanks, I’d appreciate that,” he said.  Dojima nodded before heading downstairs, and Yu eventually smelled the distinct smell of coffee brewing drift in from downstairs.  His uncle, who he had grown rather close to over the year, had picked up on his strained relationship with his parents.  While he was used to his sister hardly calling him, he had found it strange that they hardly called their son as well, no matter how busy they were.  That’s probably why he had stayed with Yu while he took the call, which he couldn’t help but find sweet of his uncle.  He was a bit awkward since he wasn’t as good at dealing with kids, but he put in more of an effort than his parents did which he appreciated.  It was nice seeing him learn how to interact better with Nanako as well; he was glad they seemed to be moving past the strained relationship he had with his parents.  It was nice of them to think of him on…Yu blinked in surprise.  That’s right, it was his birthday.

He suddenly thought back to how attentive all of his friends had been the past week, and a slow realization began to dawn on him.  They probably knew and were planning something.  His thoughts were interrupted as his uncle returned with a steaming cup of coffee and some toast.  “Happy birthday, kid,” he said, ruffling Yu’s hair before disappearing next door to wake up Nanako.  Yu couldn’t help but grin before taking a sip of his coffee, prepared just how he liked it with a little milk to offset the bitterness.  Maybe today would end up being better than most of his birthdays in the past, where he had quietly celebrated himself at home.

When he arrived at school, he noticed that everyone seemed jittery.  No one acknowledged what today was, which lent to his guess that they had something planned.  He was curious about what they would do, and pretty impressed no one had let anything slip as well.  This must be why Yosuke hadn’t seemed upset when he kept getting dragged away after school – more than likely he was at the center of whatever was going on.  Finally, after a long day of furtive glances and whispers from all of his friends, the final bell rang and everyone began to gather their stuff.  Yosuke immediately latched onto him, asking excitedly if he’d walk with him after class.  He noticed that Chie and Yukiko had disappeared and inwardly grinned.  “Of course,” he said, allowing Yosuke to set the pace after they had changed into their outdoor shoes.  Yosuke took him on a rather bizarre path, first wandering around close to the school before ending up at the shopping district where they meandered about aimlessly, until Yosuke discreetly checked a text on his phone and began dragging Yu to the Samegawa flood plains. 

Yu followed along in anticipation, excited to see what his friends had in store, and stopped in surprise when he finally spotted the group of them at the pavilion outside.  “Happy birthday, partner,” Yosuke said gently, before nudging him forward.  Yu smiled lightly, wishing he could grab Yosuke’s hand to let him know how happy he was at that moment, but settling for a small shoulder squeeze instead.

“This is amazing,” he said, slight tears in his eyes.  As they walked up, Yu could smell the meat and veggies being grilled by Yosuke’s dad; Dojima, who really didn’t know much about cooking, stood next to him with a drink in his hand and chatted while he worked.  Yosuke’s mom was setting up side dishes on a folding table they had brought that had drinks and plates set up as well.  The whole pavilion had been decorated with streamers and had a banner that read “Happy Birthday Yu” tied along the side facing him.  He could see all of his friends from school – Yukiko, Chie, Teddie, Kanji, Naoto, and Rise, along with others like Kou and Daisuke who all shouted happy birthday at him as he walked up.  Nanako was standing excitedly next to a cake that was set out in the middle of the picnic table for him that had candles shaped like a 1 and a 7 ready to be lit.  It was a beautiful set up and Yu was truly touched.

He could see Yosuke beaming proudly at him from the corner of his eyes, and he knew that a lot of it had to be the brunet’s idea.  He grinned at him before nudging him slightly with his shoulder, eyes showing appreciation, while Yosuke blushed slightly.  “Ready to eat, partner?” he asked, and Yu nodded.

Soon, everyone dug into the delicious food, Yu impressed by how good it tasted.  He was touched that the Hanamuras had both shown up and cooked for his birthday, wanting to ensure he had a nice home cooked meal.  He couldn’t remember the last time he didn’t have to cook his own birthday dinner, and he again had to blink back tears.  After eating, they lit the candles on the cake and sang happy birthday, encouraging Yu to make a wish before blowing them out.  Then, as they worked on eating their cake, everyone then handed him gifts to open, which surprised him even more.  He ended up with some books from most of them, a scarf from Kanji, a nice watch from his uncle, a handmade card from Nanako, and cologne from Rise.  Daisuke and Kou had pooled their money to get him a nicer model kit for him to build which he was definitely looking forward to.  To his surprise, the only one who hadn’t handed him anything was Yosuke.  When he tried to catch his boyfriend’s eyes, he carefully looked away which caused Yu to lift an eyebrow in confusion.  Maybe he had ordered something and it hadn’t come in yet?

Soon afterward, it started getting dark, and everyone began to go their separate ways.  It was a school and work night after all, and now that it was fall it was getting pretty cool at night.  Yu’s classmates stayed behind to help clean up, shooing him away when he offered, and he ended up walking home with his uncle and cousin while wondering at Yosuke’s odd attitude toward the end of the party.  He got his answer about an hour later when he heard a sound outside his window.

Yu, who had been reading one of the books he got for his birthday, blinked as something hit his window, and marked his place before standing up.  He walked over and curiously looked out, grinning when he saw Yosuke standing there in a heavy jacket and gloves, his nose and cheeks slightly red from the cold.  Yosuke waved excitedly at him when he noticed him look out, and Yu smiled before throwing on his own jacket and his new scarf and sneaking down the stairs.  Nanako was already in bed and Dojima was surprisingly not in the living room, so he quietly snuck out the door.  The moment Yu stepped outside, quietly closing the door behind him, he was pleased to be greeted by Yosuke wrapping his arms around his neck.  “I didn’t think you could top your earlier surprise,” Yu chuckled.  “But I have to say you’re off to a good start.” 

“Good, because this is just the beginning,” Yosuke said before pulling away.  “I mean I have to pay you back for the great birthday surprise you had for me after all.”

Yu chuckled.  “I think you did that this afternoon,” he confessed, shyly reaching down and taking Yosuke’s hand like he had wanted to earlier.  He could feel his warmth through the gloves and smiled when Yosuke squeezed his fingers in encouragement before leading him away from the house.

“That was everyone though,” Yosuke said with a huff.  “This time it’s just going to be me.  Well, ok, mostly me,” he corrected.

Yu glanced at him curiously, and Yosuke replied evasively, “You’ll see.”

He led Yu back to the Samegawa flood plains, only this time they headed toward the river bank, where Yu was surprised to see a blanket laid out with a basket sitting on top.  He blinked at Yosuke who smiled proudly before bringing him over to it and sitting down, motioning for Yu to join him.  Yu sat down, surprised when Yosuke opened up the picnic basket and pulled out two canteens that were warm to the touch and a bento box with some onigiri, korokke, tamagoyaki, and sunomono.  “There’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight,” Yosuke explained.  “So, I thought we’d try to see some shooting stars.  And…my mom helped me make all of this,” he added.  “Teddie kept coming in and teasing me the whole time about how I was cooking for my boyfriend,” he said with a blush.  “He just doesn’t realize he’s actually right.”

Yu was immediately touched, and quickly reached into the bento to grab one of the onigiri.  He took a quick bite and smiled.  While it was a little misshapen, it tasted pretty good and Yosuke had obviously put a lot of effort into it.  “It’s delicious,” he said, before screwing the cap off the canteen and realizing Yosuke had brought them hot tea for the cool fall weather.  “This is really thoughtful,” he continued.  “Especially since you know how much I appreciate you cooking for me.”  He turned to look at Yosuke, who was nervously shoving his hand into the pocket of his jacket.  To his surprise, Yosuke pulled out a small package before holding it out at him, blushing furiously.

“This is the real gift,” he admitted.  “I just…couldn’t give it to you in front of the others.”

Yu screwed the cap back onto his canteen and set it down, before gingerly taking the package from Yosuke.  The wrapping was applied rather messily, but he could tell it was in the shape of a jewelry box on the inside.  Yu carefully unwrapped it, revealing the thin leather box, before opening it up.  Inside was a very nice leather bracelet with gray and black leather braided together and held together by a silver clasp.  On the inner part of the clasp it had been engraved with the word “Partners.”  Yu looked back at Yosuke and spotted a matching bracelet already on his wrist, only with black and orange leather instead.  His eyes shot up to meet Yosuke’s, looking at him searchingly as Yosuke blushed but met his gaze steadily.  “Need help putting it on?” he asked, and Yu smiled before holding his wrist out.  Yosuke chuckled before sliding the bracelet on and snapping it into place.

Yu leaned forward and tugged Yosuke to him, quickly capturing his lips in a warm kiss, before pulling away and smiling at him.  “I love it,” he said, carefully trailing his fingers down to tug at the matching bracelet on Yosuke’s wrist.

“I’m glad,” Yosuke said, eyes warm as he stared back at him.  He then tugged on Yu as he laid down, Yu carefully lying next to him as they stared up at the clear night sky, chatting and pointing out each time they saw one of the meteors streak across the sky.  This was definitely Yu’s best birthday ever, although he could honestly say the best gift was having Yosuke by his side.


	21. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke takes Yu to Okina for their first date~

After Yu’s successful birthday surprise, things seem to be going smoothly.  Yu and Yosuke appreciated the leisurely pace of their relationship, since it’s the first for both of them, and they wanted to take the time to explore.  Both of them seemed happy now that they’re finally together, and every time they see the other’s matching bracelet it brings a smile to their face over the secret sign of their connection.  Their friends start to pick up on their odd behavior, and Yosuke’s pretty sure the whispering and discreet glances from Yukiko and Chie recently have been centered around them.

They still hadn’t said anything about their relationship to the others yet, enjoying the current question free peace as they got used to the changes that came with being boyfriends instead of only best friends, but Yosuke had a feeling it was only a matter of time before everyone figured it out.  He was quite content to wait until that happened, and it seemed Yu was as well.  Because things were going so well, when it started raining that evening, Yosuke almost didn’t think to watch the Midnight Channel that night.  But, when midnight began to approach, he suddenly decided he wanted confirmation that things were going as well for Yu as for him, since it seemed to display Yu’s innermost thoughts that he sometimes hid on the surface.  Yu was definitely much better at hiding his feelings than he was after all.

Once it hit midnight, the tv turned itself on like clockwork, and Yosuke was startled to discover that Yu was not looking happy like he expected.  In fact, he was staring off into the distance with a pained expression on his face, and he sighed listlessly while leaning his head on his hand.  Yosuke felt a pang in his chest as he tried to sort through what was going on.  Did he do something to make Yu upset?  What could he possibly be hiding from him?  He shot a text message to Yu, hoping he was still awake, but after not getting a reply he sighed and set down his phone.  It looks like he’d have to talk to him at school tomorrow.

It was still raining the next day, which meant they both ended up eating lunch in the classroom with Chie and Yukiko.  It also meant that Yosuke couldn’t bring up what he saw, not wanting to call Yu out in front of the other two, and instead he ended up acting jittery the entire lunch.  It caused Chie to snap and ask _him_ what he was all worked up about, and Yosuke could see Yu shoot him a concerned look when he said it was nothing.  None of the other three looked like they believed them, and Yosuke couldn’t help but internally roll his eyes.  There really wasn’t anything wrong with him other than his concern for Yu, so it wasn’t like he was completely lying.

To his relief, when the final bell rung, Yu asked him if he wanted to walk home together, obviously concerned about Yosuke’s odd behavior during lunch.  Yosuke felt slightly guilty, because he was pretty sure Yu had plans with Kou or Daisuke that afternoon, but it also helped with his goals so he wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip.  He had to know what Yu was hiding.  “Sounds good to me,” Yosuke said cheerfully.  “Why don’t we just head to your place?  I’m off work today so I’m free.”

“That’s fine.  Nanako’s always happy to see you,” Yu agreed.  It had finally cleared up and stopped raining, but there were still puddles everywhere that they had to step around as they walked.  They headed toward Yu’s house, quiet for a change as Yosuke tried to think about how to bring up what he saw last night.  He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t see Yu’s worried glances at him as they walked.  It wasn’t like Yosuke to be so quiet.

Once they were getting close to the neighborhood where the Dojima’s house was located, Yu finally blurted, “What’s wrong?” causing Yosuke to turn to him in surprise.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he replied, and Yu shook his head.

“It’s not like you to be this quiet,” he pointed out.  “You obviously have something on your mind.”

“Is…there something wrong with you?” Yosuke finally asked, and Yu raised an eyebrow.  “I mean, I saw the Midnight Channel again last night, and I expected to see you as happy as I’ve been but…” he trailed off.  He saw realization sweep across Yu’s face before he sighed and looked down.  He also abruptly stopped, causing Yosuke to also stop and turn to face him.

“I see,” Yu said quietly, hand looped in one pocket while the other clenched and unclenched by his side.  Yosuke waited, patient for a change, for Yu to gather his thoughts.  “I have been happy,” Yu said.  “The happiest I’ve been since I can remember.  But…” he trailed off for a moment, before looking up to meet Yosuke’s steady gaze.  “Every time I realize how happy I am, I remember that it’s only temporary because I have to move back to Tokyo once my parents get back.”

Yosuke suddenly felt like he had been punched in the gut.  Yet again he had forgotten about that.  “But, Yu,” he said, “even when you move back, you’ll still have this.”  He reached out for Yu’s hand, and Yu gratefully let him hold it.  “Yeah, we’ll be apart sometimes, and that’s gonna suck.  But you better believe you’ll still have me.  And the others for that matter.”

Yu smiled sadly before squeezing his hand.  “That’s what I keep holding onto,” he admitted.  “Or else I’d be even more depressed.”

Yosuke sighed.  “You should have let me know sooner.  We’ll figure something out, I promise!  I’m sure at the very least your parents will let you come visit for breaks.  Your uncle and Nanako-chan both love you, and I’m sure they’ll be happy to have you too.”

Yu’s grin brightened at the thought.  “You’re right.  My uncle has already mentioned a few times that I’m welcome to come whenever I want,” he confessed.  “And there’s videoconferencing nowadays, so I can see your goofy face whenever I want.”

“Who has a goofy face now?” Yosuke asked, pretending to look offended.  “I think you may have me confused with you.”

Yu laughed, before squeezing Yosuke’s hand.  “Thank you.  I already feel a bit better,” he admitted.  Yosuke nodded, the wheels already turning in his head.  How could he come up with a solution to their predicament?  It seemed pretty hopeless, but he was definitely going to try.  He did, however, suddenly think of a temporary solution.  Once they reached the Dojima’s and headed inside, greeting Nanako who was predictably excited to see Yosuke walk in with her big bro, Yosuke casually asked if Yu was free on Sunday, who after thinking for a moment replied that he was.  While both boys casually spent time watching the quiz show Nanako was so fond of with her, Yosuke found himself tuning it out as he formulated his plan for that Sunday.  Yu kept glancing at him curiously but let him be, figuring he’d find out on Sunday what Yosuke had in store.

Sunday morning, Yu was called downstairs by his uncle who said that Hanamura boy was waiting for him.  Yu, who had gotten up early and took a bit more care getting dressed just in case, rushed downstairs to see Yosuke awkwardly fidgeting in the entrance while Dojima looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  “I didn’t know you boys were going out today,” he commented, glancing at both of them, and Yosuke winced.

“I wanted to surprise him,” he said.  “Is it ok if we go out to Okina today?”

“As long as you both stay out of trouble I don’t care what you do,” Dojima said, and Yu inwardly grinned.  Although Dojima was trying to sound gruff – which had its intended effect on Yosuke who looked slightly alarmed – he knew his uncle trusted him and liked Yosuke as well.

“O-of course, sir,” Yosuke replied nervously as Yu slid on his shoes.

“Tell Nanako I’ll be back for dinner,” Yu grinned at his uncle who nodded before heading back to the living room to finish his cup of coffee and the morning paper. 

When they headed outside and had safely closed the door, Yosuke let out a breath before exclaiming, “I felt like a guy trying to steal away his daughter or something!”

Yu laughed.  “I mean, I may not be his daughter, but you’re essentially stealing his nephew,” he relied.  “So, Okina, huh?”

“Yeah.  We…haven’t actually been on a real date yet?  And I figure in Okina we won’t get any odd looks like we would in Inaba,” Yosuke said shyly, and Yu smiled back.  They made their way to the train station, Yosuke complaining about how he wished he had a motorbike so they could just leave, and in no time at all they found themselves arriving in Okina.

“So, what all do you have planned?” Yu asked curiously as they looked around the city.  He had been several times with other friends to do different things, but other than an occasional movie with Yosuke they actually hadn’t been often together.  They usually stuck to Inaba when they hung out.

“Well, I was thinking the arcade first – the one with the UFO catcher in the front,” Yosuke suggested.  “Then the café for lunch.  And we can shop around a bit before going to see a movie.”  He looked kind of red at the last suggestion, and Yu hid a grin.  A dark theater with his partner sounded like a great end to the day to him.  “I actually have tickets to an afternoon showing so we should be back home in time for dinner,” he added.

“Sounds like a plan.  So, to the arcade?” he asked, holding out his arm like he was a gentleman about to escort Yosuke into a ball.

Yosuke rolled his eyes but took the offered arm anyway, and they both laughed at how ridiculous they felt as they made their way to the arcade.  Once inside, they got some coins before walking through the arcade, picking out a few games to play and immediately competing with each other in each one.  Even co-op games were a competition, with both of them trying to beat the other’s kill count and bragging when they did well.  Yosuke tended to be better at the fighting games, having lots of practice with them, while Yu seemed to have a natural affinity for the shooters.  Right before they were about to head to lunch, Yosuke tried his hand at the UFO crane game with his final tokens, feeling disappointed when he didn’t manage to get the cute cate one shaped like a samurai general.  He had secretly thought that Yu would like it and was trying to impress him by getting it for him.  He was out of coins, however, and needed the rest of his money to cover their lunch (he knew Yu would try to argue about it but he was ready to make his case that he asked so it was his date and he could treat), so he dejectedly made his way to the street so they could walk to the café.

Yu, of course, had noticed, and thought it was sweet that Yosuke had tried so hard for his sake.  He also had a few coins left, and he noticed that one of the cute Jack Frost dolls looked like it may be a bit easier to pick up.  He glanced at Yosuke’s retreating form and immediately dropped a few coins in before carefully angling the joystick of the claw machine until he had it in position.  Then, he hit the button to lower it and closed his eyes, holding his breath until he heard a thunk as something dropped into the chute.  Yu’s heart pounded as he eagerly looked inside, pumping one fist victoriously when he saw the Jack Frost doll grinning back at him.  Yu pulled it out and nearly ran into Yosuke, who had been about to walk back inside when he realized Yu wasn’t right behind him.  “Dude, what the he…” he started to say, before he looked down to see the doll in Yu’s hands.

Yu thrust it at him, and Yosuke took it dumbly.  “You can get me the Neko Shogun next time,” Yu replied.  “But for now, take this from me.”

Yosuke blushed, before glancing up at him.  “You have all the luck,” he grumbled, but Yu noticed how carefully he cradled it in his arm as they headed to the café.

“He wasn’t as awkwardly placed as the other one,” Yu replied.  “I know next time you’ll get it!”  Yosuke blushed at his confidence, and felt determined that no matter how many coins it took, next time he was in Okina he would get that plush for Yu.

They had a pleasant lunch at the café, carefully choosing a normal sounding drink after reading the side effects of some of the house specialties, and just as Yosuke predicted, Yu tried to protest when Yosuke had insisted to pay for the bill.  “You covered the movie tickets already,” Yu pointed out.  “I should be the one to cover lunch.”

“I’m the one who asked you out on a date,” Yosuke replied.  “Next time ask me out and you can cover everything.”

Yu almost seemed to take it like a challenge, and Yosuke felt a little unsure at the confident look that crossed his face at Yosuke’s comment.  He suddenly wondered what he would be in for when it was Yu’s turn.  But, he tried his best to ignore that as he and Yu headed to the bookstore so Yu could peruse the books and Yosuke could look at cds.  There were a few he wanted and he had carefully set aside money just in case he happened upon one of them.  The whole time, Yosuke carefully cradled his Jack Frost plushie in his arms, and Yu couldn’t help but feel a bit proud over it.

Soon, it was time for them to head to the movie theater, and once they were settled into their seats, each of them with a drink with Jack Frost resting in Yosuke’s lap, the previews began to roll and Yu found himself yet again staring at Yosuke.  This time, when Yosuke noticed and glanced back at him, he didn’t have to pretend to look away, and he instead gave him a soft smile.  Yosuke chuckled before offering his hand, and Yu took it eagerly while lacing their fingers together.  “I must say, this pulp fiction movie is a bit more up my alley than Featherman,” Yu mused.

“I think I must remind you that you invited me to that one, not the other way around,” Yosuke teased.  “So that was your choice.”

“How else was I going to trick you into going on a date with me?” Yu mused, and Yosuke nearly choked on his drink.

“You sly little…” he started to reply, but in front of them someone hushed and he immediately quieted.  Yu had a triumphant smile, while Yosuke shook his head.  No wonder it had felt kind of like a date. 

This time, once the movie started, Yosuke found himself distracted, and he kept glancing over at Yu instead.  He felt fidgety and nervous, even though they had been to the movies plenty of times before, and every time Yu shifted or lightly hummed to himself at some of the plot points in the movie, Yosuke felt himself drawn to the movement or the sound.  Their clasped hands were a bit warm and sweaty at this point, but neither boy wanted to let go.  Finally, Yu seemed to notice Yosuke’s eager gaze, and he tilted his head to look questioningly at him.

“Something the matter?” he whispered, eyes a bit dark due to the lighting, and Yosuke couldn’t help but stare.  He looked amazing. 

Yu raised an eyebrow, and Yosuke suddenly remembered he had asked a question.  “N-nothing,” he stammered, before immediately looking away in embarrassment.  To his surprise, Yu shifted in his seat and leaned forward to look at Yosuke more closely.

“I don’t think you’re being honest,” he murmured, keeping his voice down as to not disturb anyone else.  Luckily, since it was a relatively early showing, the theater wasn’t overly crowded and they were the only two on their row.

Yosuke tilted his head to look at him, squirming slightly since Yu’s low voice had done weird things to his stomach.  “Why would I lie?” he quietly replied, and Yu grinned.  He had one hand bracing on the other side of Yosuke’s head while he stared at him.

“Coy to the bitter end I see,” he teased, before leaning forward to brush his lips against Yosuke’s.  “I know why you chose a dark theater in the first place,” he added slyly.

“Why, because you had done the same yourself?” Yosuke countered.  “Fortunately for you, I didn’t bring anyone along with us,” he added, before reaching forward to run his fingers through Yu’s hair.  He then tugged slightly to bring Yu forward so he could taste his lips again, experimentally running his tongue along them and causing the other boy to suck in his breath.  That was certainly not something either of them had done before, and Yu reveled in the feeling as Yosuke’s hot tongue slid along his lips, causing just the slightest friction that sent shivers up his spine.  It wasn’t long until Yu eagerly opened his mouth, allowing Yosuke to experimentally slide his tongue inside, tasting sweetness from his soda along with a leftover bitterness from the coffee earlier.  Yu’s mind began to feel hazy, and he opened his eyes to see how Yosuke was doing, suddenly feeling mesmerized by how hot the brunet looked with flushed cheeks and messed hair from his head resting against the movie theater seat.  Yu decided it was now his turn to explore Yosuke’s mouth, and he closed his eyes again before sucking on Yosuke’s lower lip as a way to beg for entrance.

Yosuke immediately complied and soon Yu was exploring his mouth, which had grown searing hot during their make out session and tasted sweet from both drinks.  Yosuke had let go of his hand in order run it under his shirt, tracing the faint lines of muscle on his tone stomach, and Yu suddenly felt warmth begin to travel down his torso, settling just below the belt.  Now that his hand not keeping him braced above Yosuke was free, Yu decided to explore himself, running it along Yosuke’s taught back and feeling as he shivered at his touch.  Yu smiled into the kiss while Yosuke sighed, kneading his other hand into Yu’s hair where it had already been resting.

Yu found himself having to fight back a moan at his touch that half escaped, and he quickly pulled away, both of them red faced and panting while they looked around to see if anyone had noticed.  No one was looking at them which was a good sign, but it had spooked them enough that they decided to settle down, adjusting their clothes and taking another sip of their drinks in order to cool off.  It was almost the climax of the movie, with the detective throwing accusations at the antagonist, and they tried to focus again on the movie while ignoring the fact that they were both suddenly feeling a bit tight in their pants.  After a few minutes, Yu reached over to take Yosuke’s hand again, and they watched the rest of the movie quietly, both of them replaying what had just happened in their heads instead of really paying attention.

Once the movie was over, they threw away their empty drinks before going to the bathroom to splash their faces with water, still a bit heated, before making their way to the train station.  “So, what did you think of the movie?” Yosuke asked after clearing his throat.

“Some parts are a bit foggy,” Yu replied thoughtfully.  “I think another viewing could clear things up.”

Yosuke blushed at the suggestion.  “Maybe you’re right,” he said, and Yu noticed how his voice sounded slightly husky.

He glanced over at him and Yosuke immediately looked away in embarrassment.  “Everything alright, partner?” Yu asked casually, and Yosuke hid his head on his shoulder.

“Shut up,” he grumbled, and Yu gently patted his hair.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind a repeat,” Yu said into Yosuke’s ear, and he gripped Yu’s jacket in response.

“Not right now,” Yosuke said, voice slightly muffled, and Yu laughed.

“No, but hopefully soon,” he replied.

When the train finally arrived and they both got on, sitting down and huddling close together, Yu couldn’t help but feel content.  He knew that Yosuke’s motivation for this was probably to help him feel better, and he had to admit that his boyfriend had done a great job.  As they headed back to Inaba, both boys chatted away, Yosuke with the Jack Frost plush tucked in one arm while Yu had his arm around Yosuke’s shoulder.  There weren’t a lot of other people on the train, and none that he could recognize, so he allowed himself to feel a bit bold.  Yosuke didn’t seem to mind either, or at least didn’t say anything or pull away, so he stayed in that position the whole trip.  Maybe things wouldn’t be as bad as he was predicting, and Yu began to allow himself a little bit of hope for the future.


	22. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu and Yosuke have their Christmas date~

Not too long after their first date, it was time for exams.  This caused another flurry of study dates as Yu and Yosuke prepared to wrap up their semester, along with another joint session with Chie and Yukiko the Sunday before they took their tests.  Just like before, Yu was a tough taskmaster and he did not let their change in relationship alter their focus in anyway (much to Yosuke’s chagrin).  Yosuke felt pretty confident this time around as he took them, and he associated it with the fact that he actually had friends who cared about their grades.  His friends now were much different than his friends in the city who were all slackers, a mindset that Yosuke used to enthusiastically adapt when he was trying to fit in with them. 

Now, though, he found himself adjusting his stance as he saw Chie work so hard even though it didn’t seem to improve her grades as much as it should, and he realized how much work Yu and Yukiko put into their grades to maintain their top spots in the class.  He always used to think it was just natural for some people and it was a waste to even try, but he began to realize that while there may be a few people out there like that, it wasn’t the case for most people and if he applied himself something may actually come of it.

After exams wrapped up, there were only a few days left of classes before the start of winter break.  Just like over summer break, Yosuke was busy working at Junes while Yu had outings with other friends already planned, which meant they didn’t get to see each other every day.  Yosuke was lamenting the lack of time spent with his boyfriend as he wrapped up at work, realizing now why Yu had seemed less enthused about the semester wrapping up than the rest of them.  Once school started back up, it would be their last semester together before Yu moved back to the city.  And this was only a small taste of what it would be like once he was gone. 

Yosuke ruffled his hair in frustration before going to put his cleaning supplies away in the utility closet in the breakroom.  He then hung up his apron in his locker and grabbed his jacket before heading over to his dad’s office to see if he was ready to go home; if he was, that meant Yosuke would get a ride instead of having to bike home.  His dad kept a bike rack on his car for that reason.  “Hey dad, ready to go?” Yosuke asked, causing his dad to look up from his computer screen before glancing at his watch.  He winced.

“Yeah, I guess I can finish next week’s schedule in the morning,” he decided before getting up with a stretch.  “Your mom always gets annoyed when I stay too late.”

His dad grabbed his jacket off a hook he had hanging on his wall and reached into the pocket for his car keys before putting it on.  “Bring your bike today?” he asked, and Yosuke nodded.

“Go grab it – I’ll be waiting up front.” 

As his dad flicked off his light and closed the door to his office which automatically locked, Yosuke headed down the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator, before popping outside to the bike rack.  He unlocked his bike and walked it over to the parking lot to where his dad was pulling his car around.  Yosuke fastened his bike securely before getting into the passenger seat, shivering and reaching over to turn up the dial on the heat in the car.  Winter had definitely arrived.

“I haven’t seen Narukami around as much lately,” Yosuke’s dad commented as they headed back to the house.  “While you guys were studying for exams he practically lived at our house so it feels strange that he’s not around now.”

Yosuke blushed lightly.  “He’s got other friends too,” he replied.  “And with me being busy at work every day it doesn’t give us much time to hang out.”

“I seem to remember you begging to pick up shifts because you were saving up for someone’s Christmas present,” his father said mildly, before glancing over at Yosuke.  “So, who’s the lucky person?”

Yosuke froze.  “Um, what?” he asked.

“Well, you already told your mom and me that you’d be out on Christmas.  And you’re saving up for a gift.  I could only assume that means you have a date,” he replied, eyes on the road.  “Normally I’d say girl, but since you don’t talk about Konishi anymore and you’ve never talked about that Satonaka girl in a romantic way…I didn’t want to assume.”

Yosuke took a shuddering breath.  He suddenly had a feeling he knew where the conversation was going and he didn’t know what to make of it.  He hadn’t told his parents because he wasn’t sure what their feelings on the subject would be.  “In fact,” his dad said, voice careful.  “The one person you seem to talk about all of the time is Narukami.”

“Dad,” Yosuke said, voice strained.  For some reason, his chest was getting tight as if he was about to cry.

To his surprise, his dad reached over and placed his hand on Yosuke’s head in a comforting way, just like he used to when he was a young boy. He squeezed lightly, ruffling his hair before placing it back on the steering wheel.  “Yosuke, you know you can talk to your mom and me about anything, right?” he asked, glancing over at him.  “We both like Narukami – he’s a good kid and has been a great influence on you.  Your mom has been stressing out because we’ve both suspected it, but since you haven’t talked to us about it, she didn’t want to bring it up or assume.”

Yosuke turned to stare at him.  “You…you mean that?” he asked, and his dad nodded.

“We just want you to be happy, son,” he replied.  “I was a little surprised at first – you only ever seemed interested in girls after all.  But as long as he’s a good kid and treats you right, I don’t care.”

Yosuke felt tears roll down his cheeks and sniffled before carefully rubbing them with the sleeve of his jacket.  He hadn’t realized how much his parent’s opinions mattered to him since he had been trying to avoid thinking about it.  “I think Dojima-san suspects too,” Yosuke admitted.  “When I took Yu out on a date to Okina the other day I felt like I was being interrogated.”

Yosuke’s father laughed.  “Should I interrogate Narukami then?” he asked, amused at the idea.  “I wouldn’t want to miss out.”

Yosuke laughed at the thought, especially after how Yu and his father had been bonding over their historical drama the past several months.  Yu probably wouldn’t know what was going on.  “I’m almost tempted to say yes just to see his reaction,” Yosuke grinned.  They were almost at the house, but to Yosuke’s surprise when they pulled up and his dad turned off the car, he made no move to leave.

He turned to his dad questioningly who turned to face him as well.  “Have you given any thought to what you wanted to do after you graduate?” his father asked, and Yosuke shook his head.

“Not really.  Don’t you usually wait until third year to ask these questions?” he joked.

His dad shook his head.  “I believe in your case son, especially since you are dating Narukami, it’s something you should be thinking about a little earlier.”

“What do you mean?” Yosuke asked.

“I never thought of you as being much of an academic,” his father replied.  “You’re smart but never really applied yourself to your studies.  But, that’s changed this year.  Your mother and I have both noticed,” he started.  “I figured you would end up working at Junes after you graduated until you found another job that interested you more – maybe went to a trade school – but now I think you might want to start thinking about going to university.”

Yosuke suddenly caught on to what his dad was implying, and he felt his heartbeat increase.  “There are a lot of very good universities in the city,” his father continued.  “And I’m pretty sure with Narukami’s grades and nature, that is something he’s always planned on as well.”  He looked pointedly at Yosuke, who felt floored.  Maybe this was the answer he could give to Yu!

“I…I don’t know what I would study,” Yosuke stammered. 

“That’s the beauty about university.  You can start undecided until you find something you like,” his father grinned.  “I know how much you missed the city when we moved here as well. While I’m glad you’ve grown to like Inaba, I know you’ve always preferred the energy back in Tokyo.  Maybe it’ll be good for you to branch out back there.”

Yosuke stared at his dad in amazement.  It had been a long time since he had a more serious conversation with his parents – in fact, really the last one had been when they explained the move to Inaba.  It really touched him that his dad seemed to trust him so much and really thought that he could handle such a responsibility.  He seemed confident Yosuke could make it into a school even though he had been such a slacker since junior high.  “Thanks dad,” Yosuke said, reaching forward to throw his arms around him.

His dad chuckled and patted him on the back.  “I can’t wait to shove it in your uncle’s face when my son is a university graduate,” his dad replied mischievously, and Yosuke laughed.  His dad had never really gotten along with his brother-in-law who thought his mom could have married someone with more money and status.  Yosuke had grown to respect his dad and how he had earned everything through hard work, and it never bothered him that his dad’s family came from the working class.  His dad had actually not gone to university himself – he had been accepted into a school but had to drop out to support his parents when his father had gotten sick – and had worked his way up to manager by starting as a part-timer just like Yosuke.  He suddenly realized that if he went to university, how much it would mean to him.  Even if his dad had never brought it up before.

“I think this will be a better Christmas present than the one I’ve been saving up for,” Yosuke said with a sigh, and his dad laughed.  They then headed inside, Yosuke’s dad giving his mom a meaningful look.  His mom squealed before running over to give him a hug, while Yosuke flushed bright red in embarrassment.  Teddie then demanded to know what was going on, and when Yosuke finally explained his relationship with Yu, he looked less than surprised.

“Oh, every one knows that,” he said with a huff, and Yosuke found himself blushing again.  “We’ve all been beary upset you haven’t told us!” he added.

“Well, I’m telling you now, Teddie,” Yosuke said.  “Just, let Yu and I handle everyone else, ok?”

Teddie beamed at him, before everyone made their way over to the table to eat.  Yosuke explained to his mom his conversation with his dad in the car, and she seemed delighted at the idea of him going to university when he graduated.  “You’ll have to study hard once Narukami’s in the city,” she gently warned, and Yosuke nodded his head.

“I know,” he agreed.  “But, I’ve picked up a lot of good study tricks from him and I think I can do it.”

“Yosuke’s growing up so fast,” Teddie said dramatically, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.  “I’m beary sad I won’t get to see it next year!”

Yosuke’s face fell slightly.  He was so caught up in thinking about Yu’s situation that he forgot Teddie would also be leaving at the end of next semester.  “We’ll still chat, Ted,” he promised. 

“And you’re welcome to visit anytime,” his mom included.  “In fact, if you want to stay for part of the summer, we’ll be happy to discuss it with your parents.”

Teddie’s eyes lit up at the idea.  “Really?” he asked, and Yosuke’s parents nodded.

“I’ll ask them tonight on our call!” he said enthusiastically.  Yosuke had wondered why Teddie ended up staying during the winter break, especially with Christmas being such an important holiday in the US, but had picked up over the past few months that Teddie’s parents seemed pretty busy most of the time. 

‘Kind of reminds me of Yu,’ he realized.  Both boys had expressed a fondness for Yosuke’s parents, and he was beginning to realize just how lucky he was.  He always used to complain that his dad made him work at Junes and that his mom often embarrassed him…but he was beginning to rethink those feelings now.  Maybe he was lucky to be close enough with his parents to complain about things like that.  He was definitely lucky that they were supportive of him regardless of what he chose to do.

After dinner, Yosuke sent Yu a warning text that the cat was out of the bag about their relationship, and Yu admitted that he had a similar conversation with his uncle after their date in Okina.  Only theirs had been more awkward since Dojima wasn’t as experienced talking about the subject and had eventually told Yu to be careful in front of Nanako, and that he’d support him whenever he was ready to tell his parents.  That had meant a lot to Yu, who had a feeling his parents would have a much different reaction.  ‘I’ll tell them eventually,’ he wrote.  ‘But it may have to wait until I’m on my own just in case.’  Yosuke couldn’t blame him for that, and only sent him words on encouragement in reply.  He also felt slight anticipation because he hadn’t told Yu his plans yet, since he wanted to wait until their Christmas date.  This would be the first time he would actually have a date for Christmas, and he was really looking forward to it.

On the afternoon of Christmas day, Yu arrived at the Hanamura’s and buzzed the gate, smiling to himself when it was Yosuke who answered.  He had a feeling he had been waiting impatiently for him.  Unfortunately, unlike in the city, there weren’t as many things for a young couple to do in Inaba for Christmas, but Yu had come up with a few ideas of his own that he thought Yosuke would like.  It started by treating him to lunch to make up for Yosuke paying for their last date.  Yosuke came out, casually carrying a gift bag in his hand, before shouting goodbye to his parents and hurriedly shutting the door as Teddie called out innuendos to him in reply.  “So, where are you taking me?” he asked as Yu wrapped his arm around his waist.  Yosuke snaked his around Yu’s as well, huddling close in the cold air.  It had snowed a few days ago, covering Inaba in a blanket of white that really added to the ambience. 

“We’re going to Aiya’s for lunch,” Yu explained.  “Then we’ll be returning back to my place in the evening.”

Yosuke rose an eyebrow.  “What about…” he started to ask, and Yu quickly explained.

“Nanako and my Uncle are going to Okina to eat at Nanako’s favorite family restaurant.  They do it every Christmas,” he explained.  “We’ll have the house to ourselves.”

Yosuke blushed at the thought.  “Alright,” he said shyly, leaning slightly onto Yu’s shoulder.  Yu grinned, pulling Yosuke closer, even though it made it a bit difficult to walk that way.  Soon they were at Aiya’s, which was bustling with the normal lunch crowd.  Working people didn’t have Christmas day off, and most couples went out to eat on Christmas Eve.  They were soon ushered to their usual spots at the bar.  There was a special ramen and a special beef bowl for Christmas, and Yosuke ended up ordering the ramen while Yu got the beef bowl.  The ramen was their regular pork one but had red and green vegetables for the holiday, while the beef bowl had some cinnamon and nutmeg included in the spices which actually tasted pretty good. 

After a very satisfying warm meal, Yu took them to Junes much to Yosuke’s surprise.  Unlike the more traditional shopping district, which was pretty bare of Christmas decorations, Junes was decked out with Christmas decorations and lights, which made it feel like they were walking through some of the big shopping plazas in the city.  Yosuke followed Yu around as he picked up some fresh veggies along with some chicken and corn starch, wondering what he had in mind after he checked out and they headed back home.  Each of them carried a bag and they held hands as they chatted along the way.  “So, are you cooking us dinner tonight?” Yosuke asked.

“We’re cooking dinner tonight,” Yu amended, and Yosuke eyes widened.

“Are you sure you trust me in your kitchen,” he joked, and Yu squeezed his hand.

“You said you wanted to learn, so you’re getting a crash course tonight,” he teased.

When they got to the Dojima’s, Yosuke was surprised to see the house decked out in Christmas decorations.  “Nanako helped me decorate last night,” Yu explained as they hung up their coats and switched to house slippers.  “She really had a lot of fun with it.”

“Wow, this looks really nice,” Yosuke commented, staring at the Christmas tree in the corner and the lights hanging around the door that faced the backyard.  Even the clothes line had lights strung up on it that Dojima had apparently turned on for Yu before leaving – it gave the backyard a romantic glow.

“I’m glad you like it,” Yu smiled, before going to the kitchen to put their stuff away in the fridge.  It wasn’t quite time to start on dinner yet.  Yosuke spotted a small Christmas cake sitting in the fridge along with some sparkling cider for them to enjoy.  He made his way over to the kotatsu in the living room, quickly sliding underneath it for warmth while setting Yu’s gift bag on top.  Yu wandered over to slide in next to him, turning on the tv to a holiday music station before reaching for his bag.

“Mind if I open this?” he asked.

“I mean, it’s why I brought it, right?” Yosuke teased, and Yu smiled before peeking inside.  His eyes widened in amusement before he pulled out the first item – the Neko Shogun plush that Yosuke had tried to win for him on their last date.

“How much money did you spend?” Yu asked, raising an eyebrow, and Yosuke flushed.

“That’s not for you to worry about,” he replied, and Yu laughed.  He noticed that the bag didn’t appear to be empty though and reached in again.  This time he pulled out a large book and he read the title with a confused look.

“You’re giving me an entrance exam study guide for Christmas?” he asked incredulously. 

Yosuke fidgeted next to him.  “I actually bought myself a copy too,” he mumbled, and Yu set the book down on top of the kotatsu before turning to look at Yosuke.  Yosuke glanced up at him.  “I…had another talk with my dad the other day too.  I’m going to try to get into a university in Tokyo once I graduate,” he admitted, and Yu’s eyes widened.

“Yosuke,” he breathed, and the brunet grinned nervously.

“I think I may have a chance of making it in.  So hopefully we’ll be able to go to school with each other again,” he replied.  Before he could say anything else, Yu had crushed him into a hug, knocking them both back onto the living room floor.  Yosuke grunted as they crashed down, Yu half covering him in his enthusiastic hug, but couldn’t help but smile fondly while wrapping his free arm not trapped by Yu around his shoulder.

Yu pushed himself up on one arm so he could look down at Yosuke.  “I think you’ve just made me the happiest guy this Christmas,” he said seriously, and now that Yosuke’s other arm was free he reached up with his hand to cup Yu’s face.

“Good, because you deserve it,” he grinned, before pushing himself off the ground to give Yu a long, warm kiss.  Yu welcomed the kiss gladly, and held a steady hand behind Yosuke’s back as support due to their awkward position.  He then sat back, allowing Yosuke to sit up again, before standing up excitedly.

“Wait right here,” he said before making his way upstairs.  Yosuke blinked in surprise, before carefully patting his hair down and adjusting his long-sleeved shirt that had started riding up during their entangled moment. 

Yu returned moments later carrying what could only be a guitar case.  “I’ve been saving up for this for awhile now,” he admitted.  “It’s used but in really good condition.”  He carefully opened it to reveal a beautiful acoustic guitar that had obviously been well-maintained; Yosuke couldn’t even tell it was used.  He gasped, before staring at Yu in shock.

“But, I can’t play,” he said hesitantly.

“You can read music though – I’ve seen you,” Yu explained.  Yosuke was surprised Yu had noticed.  “And you can get lessons to learn.”  He held it out to Yosuke encouragingly, who gently took it from his hands.  “Even if it just becomes a hobby, you love music so much, especially rock.  I thought you might benefit from something like this.”

“I’ve always wanted to learn,” Yosuke admitted.  It was partially why he had learned to read sheet music.  “They’re just so expensive so I never wanted to ask my parents.”  He trailed off.  “I can’t accept something like this,” he said.  “I got you a UFO crane toy and a book for crying out loud!”

Yu shook his head.  “No, you gave me something better than that, Yosuke,” he gently replied, kneeling down next to him.  “You gave me your commitment.  Your commitment to us.  This is nothing compared to that.”

Yosuke sucked in his breath, before thoughtfully strumming a few chords on the guitar.  He realized due to the warm sound that Yu must have also gotten it tuned for him.  “I’ll learn,” he promised.  “And when we meet again in Tokyo, I’ll write you a song.”

Yu grinned.  “Getting a bit ambitious there,” he pointed out.  “But I don’t doubt you can do it.”

Yosuke smiled, before carefully placing the guitar back in its case.  “You ready to start on dinner?” he asked. 

They spent a lively afternoon in the kitchen, Yu directing Yosuke as he helped him prepare fried chicken and potato salad for them to eat.  There were also some pickles that Yu already had in the fridge to go along with it.  Yosuke did make a few mistakes here and there, but they were all easy to clean up, and the resulting meal was much better than he could have anticipated.  They ate while watching a Christmas variety show on tv, laughing at the antics of the celebrities, before pulling out the sparkling cider and cake for dessert.  Yu switched back to the holiday music for that, and they both leaned into each other as they quietly ate, Yosuke’s hand resting on Yu’s as they enjoyed each other’s presence, the warm kotatsu, and the inviting decorations.  By the time Nanako and Dojima arrived back from Okina for dinner, Dojima smiled upon noticing both boys curled up asleep under the kotatsu, the Christmas music still softly playing on the tv.  He shook his head before bringing Nanako upstairs to put her to bed, and quietly came back down into the living room, placing a pillow under each of their heads to ensure they’d be comfortable.  He then turned off the lights before calling the Hanamuras to let them know their son would be staying the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I cannot believe I only have one chapter left to go! I hope everyone is ok with the fact these last few chapters are essentially a bunch of fluff. I want to thank everyone who has been reading this and commenting all along - it's been very encouraging and I'm glad that so many have enjoyed this story ^^


	23. New Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter to "It's Just a Rumor, Right?" Yu and Yosuke made some resolutions to each other.

On New Year’s Eve, Yosuke and Teddie met up with their friends at the Tatsuhime Shrine for the night festival.  This time Yosuke was warmly dressed in his normal clothes and winter jacket, having shot down Teddie’s request to dress traditionally when he pointed out it was way too cold for that.  He noticed that Yu looked slightly disappointed when he walked up and rolled his eyes, accepting his quick kiss to the cheek and blushing at his friend’s knowing grins.  They had shared the news right after Christmas, since they hadn’t known how long Teddie could keep quiet about it. 

“It is way too cold.  I vote we go get something hot to eat and drink,” Rise said, cheeks red from the icy air.  She was dressed stylishly but also in normal clothes, and Yosuke couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed because it was always cute when a girl wore traditional clothing.  The only girl wearing a winter kimono was Yukiko, and she had also had her hair elegantly styled which gave her a more mature look.  She looked stunning and definitely fit the role of heiress to her family’s inn. 

Kanji had passed out scarves to everyone when they had arrived, explaining they were belated Christmas presents because he hadn’t finished them all in time and didn’t want to hand them out until they were all done.  They were perfect for the weather, and everyone gratefully wore it, appreciating how soft they were along with their added warmth.  “I agree with her,” he said immediately, zipping up his leather jacket for a change.  Yosuke couldn’t help but feel it wasn’t warm enough for this weather and felt a bit worried about his kohai. 

“Do you not have anything warmer?” he asked, and Kanji shrugged.

“I’m fine, sempai,” he said, and Yosuke frowned slightly.  To everyone’s relief, next to them Naoto pulled a blanket out of her bag before draping it over his shoulders.

“I had a feeling this would happen,” she explained, and Kanji blushed in surprise.

“Uh…thanks,” he said, pulling it around his shoulders gratefully.

They then split up to try different treats and food, the four first years traveling in a group as they taught Teddie some of the New Year’s traditions, while Yukiko and Chie headed over to get a hot drink.  Chie was wearing leggings under her skirt and sporty jacket, which was a true indicator of how cold it was if Yosuke was being honest. 

That left him and Yu to their own devices.  “What do you want to do first?” Yu asked curiously, and Yosuke’s eyes immediately looked toward the shrine.

“I want to get something out of the way first,” he explained, walking forward purposefully.  Yu followed him curiously, realization crossing his face when he noticed Yosuke was heading toward the offertory box to make his yearly prayer.  His eyes widened when he saw the amount of money Yosuke pulled out of his wallet before tossing it into the box, clapping his hands together and sending out a prayer for his grades and studying for entrance exams.  Next to him, Yu also pulled out a smaller amount money and tossed it in, sending a prayer to give him fortitude when he was back in the city without his friends.

He then turned to look at Yosuke again, who was staring down at the offertory box for a moment before looking at Yu and fidgeting.  “Is it ok if I get an omamori too?” he asked, glancing at the line for the tokens.  He wanted to get one to give him luck during his studies.

“Of course.  Are we going to get an omikuji as well?” Yu asked, and Yosuke shook his head

“You can but I always have bad luck with those,” he muttered.  “I only need positive things this year!”

Yu couldn’t help but smile, and followed along with Yosuke in order to stand in line with him.  While Yosuke grabbed one of the tokens to provide him luck in his studies, Yu surprised him by grabbing one that gave them blessings in their relationship.  He blushed as Yu bought it and tied it to his keyring.

“What?” Yu asked with a small grin.  “You’re supporting us on one end, so I should support us on the other,” he replied smoothly.

They then headed to the food stalls to get something to eat before meeting up with Chie and Yukiko who had both gotten omikuji and were reading over each other’s fortunes.  Chie had a small blessing while Yukiko had a moderate blessing.  Yu asked again if Yosuke wanted to try, and the brunet merely glared at him while Chie laughed.

“We did that last year and he got like the worst one,” she explained.  “I’ve never seen someone tie a fortune so quickly.”

They all stayed out at the shrine until midnight, ringing in the New Year together before splitting up to head home.  Yu was going with Teddie and Yosuke since he had been invited to spend the night.  Once they arrived at the Hanamura’s, Yosuke’s parents still up since they had been watching _Kohaku_ , his father cheering for the white team while his mother cheered for the red like they did every year, Teddie went to join them for a bit before bed while Yu and Yosuke went straight upstairs.  As they took off their scarves and jackets, Yosuke couldn’t help but glance at the tv, a sudden thought striking him.

“Hey, partner, do you have a New Year’s resolution?” he asked, and Yu blinked before sitting down on Yosuke’s bed.

“I’ve never done something like that before,” he admitted, and Yosuke grinned.

“I usually do, although I rarely ever go through with it,” he admitted.  “I do have one this year though that I think I can manage.”

Yu turned to look at him, expecting it to be something related to studying, and was surprised by what Yosuke said next.  “My resolution is to stop watching the Midnight Channel,” he said simply.

Yu raised an eyebrow.  “You did seem to watch it a lot this year,” he replied.  He had curiously watched it himself a few times, but Yosuke was always so transparent and easy to read that it hadn’t really been necessary.  He honestly had been pleasantly surprised when Yosuke had admitted watching it himself, because it had given him hope that maybe there was some stock in the whole soulmates rumor.  “Why the sudden decision to stop?”

Yosuke sat next to Yu, nervously tapping his fingers against his leg.  They were slightly calloused from him practicing on his guitar the past few days while watching how to videos online.  “I don’t think it’s necessary anymore.  I kind of was using it to gauge how you were doing instead of just asking you myself,” he admitted.  “And I’ve decided that from now on I just need to ask, you know?” he said, turning to face Yu. 

“When we first heard that rumor, I thought it was just ridiculous.  How could some gimmicky thing show you your ‘soulmate’?  Are soulmates even really a thing?”  He took a deep breath.  “Now, though, I’m starting to believe it.  And I don’t need it as a crutch anymore.”

Yu smiled widely at him, before pulling Yosuke into his arms.  Yosuke hugged him back, relaxing into his embrace.  “I think I have a resolution too, then,” Yu said, and Yosuke glanced up at him. 

“What’s that?” he asked.

“My resolution is to be more transparent so you don’t have to guess at my feelings anymore,” he replied honestly.  “I think the only reason why I didn’t watch it as much as you did is I could usually figure out how you were feeling so it wasn’t necessary.  Communication goes both ways after all,” he smiled.

Yosuke smiled back at him, that soft smile that only Yu got to see, and Yu couldn’t help but bury his face into Yosuke’s shoulder at how cute it was.  Yosuke lightly laughed before running a hand through his hair.  He then heard the sound of his family finally getting up from downstairs now that the show was over, and as his parents passed by to their room his dad said jovially, “You boys better be good in there!” causing both of them to flush and pull apart.  His mom giggled and Yosuke let out a resigned sigh before glancing at the time.

“We should probably go to bed,” he realized, and Yu nodded, going to change into pajamas he had packed into a small bag he had been carrying around.  Yosuke also changed before climbing into bed, huddling into the corner so Yu would have enough space to climb in next to him.  They were both feeling better about the future, and even though Yu would be leaving in a few short months, Yosuke knew that he could handle the time apart now that they had a plan.  Soon, Yu returned to the room and turned off the lights before snuggling in next to him.

“Good night,” he tiredly murmured into Yosuke’s ear.

“Night, partner,” Yosuke whispered back.

Months later when Yosuke and their friends stood on the train platform to see Yu off, Yosuke was happy that both he and Yu had been sticking to their New Year’s resolutions…although it was about to be a bit harder to do now that Yu would no longer be in town.  Yu was currently making his rounds through his friends and family, giving both Dojima and Nanako a hug as his cousin tried to hold back tears, before going to say goodbye to each of their friends in turn.  Teddie was even more torn up, since he didn’t know when he would next see Yu in person since he would also have to leave soon.  His parents had agreed to let him come back for the summer, but he wouldn’t be there during Golden Week when Yu came to visit.  Yu patiently let Teddie cry on his shoulder for a few minutes, gently reminding him that they had both agreed to video conference when Teddie moved back to the US, before Teddie stepped aside and gave Yosuke a knowing look.

Yosuke couldn’t help but flush, before his eyes looked over to meet Yu’s.  “Study hard for me, partner,” Yu said, lightly joking, “no slacking off now that I’m gone.”

“I’ve got this,” Yosuke said confidently, and Yu grinned.  “Try not to miss me too much,” he quipped, and Yu sighed.

“Now that’s impossible,” he replied, and Yosuke couldn’t hide the slide sadness that hit at those words.  Instead, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against Yu’s, tugging lightly on the wristband he had given him for his birthday.  Yu smiled into the kiss, because he knew Yosuke liked to do that to reassure him.

“We’ll be together again soon,” Yosuke promised, giving Yu a wink as he smiled, and Yu couldn’t help but lean in for another kiss.  He then waved at everyone as he gathered his bags and stepped onto the train, quickly walking over to his seat so he could continue to wave at them from the window.  His eyes locked onto Yosuke’s as the train finally began to move, their gazes conveying their message clearly.  ‘I can’t wait to see you again.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! I do have an idea for an epilogue that I will be writing very soon (like probably later today) that will tie up one idea I introduced in an earlier chapter. I really appreciate all of the comments and kudos I have received on this story and hope everyone enjoyed reading about Yu and Yosuke coming around to the idea that the rumor at the beginning of the story may just have been the truth all along :)


	24. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu waits impatiently for Yosuke to arrive at their dorm room.

Yu was sitting in the dorm room he and Yosuke would be sharing, quietly reading a book as he waited for his boyfriend to arrive.  He had wanted to meet him at the train station, but Yosuke had refused to tell him which time he was going to arrive, stating he had errands to run and didn’t want him to wait around.  It wasn’t like trains were punctual or anything in Japan – it had honestly kind of bothered Yu a little because he had been looking forward to seeing him the moment his train arrived.  He snapped the book shut before setting it on his desk, running a hand through his hair.  Ok, he was more than just bothered.  They hadn’t seen each other in months – not since the few days he spent in Inaba for New Years – and he had been planning on meeting him at the platform for weeks.

His thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of his phone, and Yu flipped it open to read a text message.  ‘What room are we in again?’ it read.  Yu’s heart pounded in his chest as he hurried to the window, eagerly looking out to see if he could spot him.  To his delight, he saw Yosuke standing and looking up at the window expectantly, his hair slightly longer and darker than the last time they had seen each other.  Yosuke had started dying it a more auburn color, and Yu thought it suited him.  His own hair was a bit long, but mainly because he hadn’t been to get his bangs trimmed yet so they were falling more into his eyes than normal.  In Yosuke’s hands was his guitar, and he motioned for Yu to open the window.  Yu slid it up and stuck his head out.  Yosuke’s bags were piled up behind him, and Yu realized that Yosuke had planned this all along.  “Hey, partner,” Yosuke said, ignoring some of the stares of other students milling about outside their dorm.

“And here I was pouting because you wouldn’t let me meet up with you earlier,” Yu said, smiling down at him.

Yosuke strummed his guitar.  “Yeah it would have kinda ruined the surprise,” he replied.  “I made a promise to you after all.”  Yosuke was blushing slightly, and Yu found it endearing as always.  “It’s just music so far though.  It may shock you but I’m not that great at coming up with lyrics,” Yosuke said in embarrassment.

Yu chuckled in reply, but leaned his head on his hand.  “If it was from you, I wouldn’t care if they were the worst lyrics ever written,” he promised, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.  He strummed a few more times before he began to actually play, and Yu couldn’t help but watch and listen intently to Yosuke’s first song.  He knew that aside from studying for the entrance exams, Yosuke had been studying a lot about music as well, and he was secretly hoping that he would end up on that path in some way shape or form while they were at school.  The song felt reflective and thoughtful, and when it hit what sounded like the bridge it took on a warm, more upbeat tone.  It felt very fitting for Yosuke, especially since Yu knew that once you got to know him, he was definitely in his head a lot; most people would never have guessed based on what he often blurted out.  Although Yu only had eyes for Yosuke, he could tell in the periphery of his gaze that the other students milling about were appreciating it too, for they had turned to watch and a few of them were clapping along.  Yu couldn’t be any prouder, and once Yosuke finished the song he dashed downstairs.

Moments later, he arrived in front of Yosuke who had put his guitar away in anticipation, and so was ready when Yu launched himself at him, pulling him close and holding him tight.  There were some whispers around them, although a few people cheered as well, and Yu couldn’t help but smile.  “That was amazing,” he said, and Yosuke chuckled, surprising him by lifting him off his feet and giving him a quick twirl.  He then set Yu down who squirmed a bit as he regained his footing, not really enjoying that particular surprise.

“I’m glad you liked it.  I think my parents were pretty happy to finally get me out of the house so they didn’t have to hear it anymore though,” Yosuke admitted as he began picking up some of his bags.  Yu helped him, knowing that Yosuke had probably gotten a taxi from the train station based on the amount of stuff he was bringing with him.  It would be nice – Yosuke would definitely give their pretty bare room some charm.

“You know they’ll miss you,” Yu replied, and Yosuke looked down.

“I’ll miss them too,” he said.  “But,” he turned to look at Yu.  “I’m looking forward to this way more.”  He smiled brightly as they headed up the stairs, missing the flush that spread across Yu’s face as he started to follow him.  Honestly, Yu felt exactly the same way.  The past year just hadn’t felt right without Yosuke and now that they were together again he could finally be fully content.  He looked forward to nights hearing Yosuke practice on the guitar and to both of them exploring new aspects of their relationship.

As Yosuke swung the door open to their room, Yu couldn’t help but say, “Welcome home,” feeling warm at getting to say it for the first time.

And Yosuke turned to him, setting his stuff on the floor, and pulled him in for their first kiss in far too long.  “It’s good to be home,” he simply replied.

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is basically the same as what I wrote for the prompt, only I added more descriptions and switched Yosuke to sitting behind Yu like in the game. Everything I post after this chapter will be new :)


End file.
